A PhD student in Global Governance at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, Ahmad Reza Ehsanian Mofrad focuses his work on International Political Economy. He is pursuing a joint PhD degree in Applied Economics, and he is ABD. His research is informed by a blend of Middle East political economy, and he has developed a particular affinity for topics such as public finance,international trade, and international relations. Born and raised in the West while living many years in the MENA region, he has hands-on personal and professional experience in analyzing the related relationships.

At present, his doctoral research is concerned with how strategic conflict, economic interdependence and regional institutions interact in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz. The dissertation is built on three complementary strands. One employs formal game theory to look at asymmetric strategic interaction in U.S.–Iran relations, be it in terms of, bargaining, restraint or signaling. Another takes an interpretivist and institutional view of Iran neighbor ties and the competing notions of security and governance there, making use of process tracing and documentary analysis. Then there is the empirical side, which explores the link between geopolitical escalation and its effects on everything from maritime traffic and energy markets to inflation and financial conditions.

Ahmad’s academic pursuits are matched by a good deal of professional experience in public policy. Through his time with the Parliament Research Center and his affiliation with Sharif University, he has written on public finance, comparative budgeting, and international public policy. He has also held R&D positions at the Securities and Exchange Organization of Iran and as Head of R&D for Entekhab Group in the private sector, giving him a front-row seat to the impact of trade restrictions and economic uncertainty on firm behavior and pricing. He has also been a sessional instructor for different courses at the finest economic/governance departments in Tehran, Iran.

This is underpinned by solid training in economics and quantitative methods. Prior to joining Balsllie program, he did advanced doctoral work in economics at the University of Waterloo after graduate studies at the University of Calgary and Iran. His toolkit spans microeconometrics, applied game theory to historicaland institutional analysis. . Ultimately, his work marries rigorous economic analysis with the institutional and political realities of international political economy.