Sushil Mohan

Sushil has an MSc in Industrialisation, Trade and Economic Policy and a PhD in Economics from Strathclyde University (Glasgow). Before joining academic economics, Sushil worked for over ten years at key levels in trade promotion agencies in London and India. He served as Consultant for the Commonwealth Secretariat for developing coffee industry in the Republic of Vanuatu; and as adviser to the Commerce Minister for India on trade and WTO issues. He also served as Vice-Chairman of the International Tea Committee and the UK Tea Council. He is currently a Senior Lecturer and Director of the MSc International Business Programme.

External Affiliations

• Editorial Board of Emerald Journal Qualitative Research in Financial Markets
• Executive Member, Development Studies Association Scotland Study Group
• Executive Member, Emerging Markets Research Group, University of West of Scotland
• Member, European Trade Study Group; Indian Institute of Public Administration; LBS National Academy of Administration, India
• Member, Food and Agriculture Organization Steering Group on Tea and Health (1993-1997)
• Member, Management Committee of the UK Tea Council, London (1993-1997); Vice-Chairman in 1995 and 1996
• Member, Board of the International Tea Committee, London (1993-1997); Vice- Chairman in 1996 and 1997
• Member, Executive Board of the International Coffee Organization (1993-1997)

Research Interests

• International Trade Policy and development
• Agricultural Trade Liberalisation
• Price-risk Management for Primary Commodity Producers
• Fair Trade and International Development
• Non-tariff Barriers
• Public Health Management and Financing

Research Grants

• 2011:    British Academy Research Grant (£7,463; 2011-13); role: analysis of price-risk management solutions coffee, cocoa and tea producers, with Prof. John Struthers, University of West of Scotland
• 2011:    Development Studies Association and Scottish Initiative for Research in Economics (£800); role: organise ‘Development Studies Scotland Conference’ at Dundee on 20 May 2011
• 2011:    Postgraduate Students’ Allowances Scheme (£34,000); to fund meritorious MSc International Business Programme students
• 2011:    Education UK Scotland Travel Subvention (£1,000); to participate in UK-India Finance and Business Mission, 22-27 June 2011
• 2010:    Centre for Environmental Change and Human Resilience (£42,600; 2010-13); member of PhD supervisory team for David Yawson research project ‘virtual water and climate change: implications for food security’
• 2010:    Tayside NHS Trust and Tayside Police Service (£107,913; 2010-13); joint with School of Nursing and Midwifery; role: economic analysis of the impact of initiating nursing interventions within police holding cell
• 2009:    Scottish Funding Council (£5,000; 2009-10); role: market research and analysis for developing a global marketing strategy for a company engaged in industrial weighing solutions and renewable energy products
• 2008:    Knowledge Transfer Partnership Scheme; Funding body: TSB and Scottish Government (£ 127,383; 2008-10); role: knowledge supervisor for establishing a global marketing information system for a Scottish engineering company, with Catia Montagna. The Partnership outcomes were commended at the KTP Scotland awards ceremony at Dunblane (Feb 1, 2011)
• 1997:    Commonwealth Secretariat, London (£12,000; 1997-99); role: prepare feasibility report on development of coffee industry in Vanuatu

• Investment Appraisal and Financial Markets (MSc International Business)
• Market Planning in a Global Environment (MSc International Business)
• International Trade and Investment
• Foundation Microeconomics
• Foundation Macroeconomics

Publications since 2008

Refereed papers

• “Coffee market liberalisation and the implications for producers in Brazil, Guatemala and India” (2012), with Bill Russell and Anindya Banerjee, The World Bank Economic Review,  Advance online access Jan 10, 2012
• “Market-based price-risk management: Welfare gains for coffee producers from efficient allocation of resources” (2011), with John Struthers, Alan Reeves and Firdu Gemech, Oxford Development Studies, 39(1): 49-68
•  “Fair Trade and corporate social responsibility” (2009), Economic Affairs, 29(4): 22-28

Refereed research monograph

• “Fair Trade without its froth” (2010),  Hobart paper 170, Institute of Economic Affairs, London

The monograph has generated considerable media attention and interest among researchers, commentators, policy makers, trade and industry leaders. It was reviewed in the Fall 2011 edition of the Independent Review journal and was commented on in the popular German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (16 September 2011), Financial Times (8 November 2010), The Independent (6 November 2010), Sustainable Scotland (4 November 2010), The Guardian (4 November 2010); The Telegraph (4 November 2010) and The Daily Mail (4 November 2010).  It was also discussed on: BBC Radio 4's Today programme; BBC Leeds' Martin Kelner and Katherine Hannah morning show; BBC Manchester's Beswick at Breakfast; BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland; BBC Radio 5 Live's Breakfast show; BBC Radio Ulster; BBC World Service; BBC Network Africa; RTBF (Belgian National TV); LBC and Premier Christian Radio; Deutschlandradio Kultur; Radio Netherlands Worldwide. The research has been posted on several blogs (e.g. Liberal Vision, The Touchstone, Guardian, Guardian – Money blog, GlobalRights.info, NetGreenNews, The Church Mouse, NGN Europe, UK Finance News, the Yorkshire Post, Toboc.com.) and has attracted record number of downloads.

Further contributions

Research/consultancy reports

• “The market for solar solutions in East Africa: Strategies for market entry”, Scottish Executive, 2009
• “Onboard weighing system and check weigh system: A market analysis”, Scottish Executive, 2009

 Current Work in Progress

• “Fairtrade: Oversold, misunderstood or unethical?”, with Anand Asthana
• “Trade barriers faced by developing countries’ agricultural processed products exports”, with Sangeeta Khorana and Homagni Choudhary
• “Bridging water scarcity and food security via virtual water: requirements for agri-compatible connections”, with David Yawson, Barry Mulholland, Tom Ball and Philip White 
•  “The welfare gain from eliminating coffee price volatility: the case of Indian coffee producers”, with Firdu Gemech, Alan Reeves and John Struthers 
• “The welfare effects of commodity price volatility: the case of Ethiopian coffee farmers”, with John Struthers, Alan Reeves and Firdu Gemech

  Selected Publications Prior to 2008

Refereed papers

• “Reforming agricultural trade among developing countries” (2007), World Trade Review, 6(3): 397-411
• “Market-based price-risk management for coffee producers” (2007), Development Policy Review, 25(3): 333-354
• “Coffee futures: Role in reducing coffee producers’ price risk” (2004), Journal of International Development, 16(7), 983-1002, with James Love

Research/Consultancy Reports

• “Development of coffee industry in the Republic of Vanuatu”, Commonwealth Secretariat, London, December 1999
• “London Tea Auctions”, UK Tea Council, 1997
• “Tea market of UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland”, Tea Board of India, 1997
• “UK coffee market”, Coffee Board of India, 1996
• “Strategy for development of leather industry”, Uttar Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation, 1989

Other Journal Papers

• “The cup that cheers”, European Retailer and Multiple Buyer, December 1996
• “Pot of gold”, Food Management Europe, July 1995
• “Darjeeling: An exotic tea”, Tea International, March 1995