Michal Rochlitz: ’ HSE is the Top Place in Russia for My Research’
Michael Rochlitz is a research fellow at the Center for the Study of Institutions and Development. Before joining HSE he finished a PhD in economics at IMT Lucca in Italy. He described the project he had been working on in the HSE and benefits of living in Moscow.
— Could you please describe your project? What are the goals and challenges?
— As part of the research project on regional governance in Russia here at the International Center for the Study of Institutions and Development (ICSID), I am currently looking at how regional Russian governors economically manage their regions. To what extent are regional governors able to leave their mark on a regional economy, to successfully implement industrial policy projects, to attract funds and investment from the federal center and abroad? Why are some regions - e.g. Kaluga - so much more successful than others? Might success or failure in this respect be due to some inherent characteristics of the governor, his career path, the people he employs? To answer these questions, I plan to use both qualitative information (newspaper sources, interviews) and the data we have here at ICSID on regional governors and vice-governors. The challenge is to combine a quantitative analysis of the data with more in-depth analysis, to understand how Russia's regional economies really work.
— Why did you choose HSE and come to Moscow?
— I have been to a number of interesting workshops and conferences at HSE during the last two years, and have always been impressed by the quality of research done at the university. In my view, HSE is the top place in Russia to do the kind of research I'm interested in, while also being a very young and dynamic institution. And then I just like Russia, and was looking for a place to stay and work in the country for a couple of years.
— What are your impressions on working and living in Moscow?
— 5 years ago, I was in Moscow as a student, studying Russian literature at MGU. Then it still felt very much like being an outside observer. It's funny to be now working here, to take the metro every morning on the way to your office, like everyone else.
— Have you got your favorite places in Moscow?
— I very much like the conservatory. When I have the choice to go to the theater, the cinema or to a concert, I usually end up in the Maly Zal, listening to some chamber music.
— What are your nearest research plans?
— Apart from the study on regional governors, I also plan to keep a comparative glance at China, and to continue working on the subject of corporate raiding in Russia that I've been studying during the last 3 years.
Anna Chernyakhovskaya, specially for the HSE news serviceSee also:
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