SupervisoryTeam

Supervisor Photo

Mar Rubio-Varas

Supervisor Details

Email: mar.rubio@unavarra.es

Organization Type: University

Organization Name: Public University of Navarre

Short Biography: Mar Rubio-Varas is a Professor of Economic History at the Economics Department of the Public University of Navarra (Spain). With a PhD and master's degree from the LSE (UK) and an undergraduate degree in Economics from the University Carlos III (Spain), her academic background includes a Fulbright Research Scholar Grant spent at the Department of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley (USA). Her research encompasses Economic and Business History, Energy Economics, and Environmental Economics, with a primary research focus on the long- term relationships between energy consumption and the economy, addressing issues of energy dependence and the transition to a low-carbon economy. In 2023, she is taking the lead on a team dedicated to researching the expansion of the renewable energy industry in Navarra and other European regions. She has been a part of research consortiums supported by the EU, including Horizon 2020/Euratom and the 6th Framework Program, as well as the European Science Foundation. She has published extensity, including co-editing books on the Economic History of Nuclear Energy in Spain (Palgrave, 2017) and Engaging the Atom (2021, WVUP).

Co-Supervisor Photo

Cristina Chaminade

Co-Supervisor Details

Email:

Organization Type: Non-academic institution

Organization Name: IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy CEESP

Short Biography: Cristina is a research economist working in the interplay between sustainability, innovation, and wildlife conservation, particularly in the Global South. After more than thirty years’ professional trajectory in academia in Sweden and Spain, she worked on innovation for sustainable development and nature conservation. She decided it was time for a change and enrolled in Harvard Extension School to pursue a Certificate in “Natural Resource Management“. She moved to Costa Rica and started to work as an independent consultant. She helps policymakers, NGOs and international organizations to design and implement strategies and policies to accelerate and scale sustainability transformations particularly in coastal social- ecological systems. Lately she worked for United Nations-ECLAC; WWF International and the Luc Hoffmann Institute, and an international consortia led by National Geographic Pristine Seas on projects related to the blue economy, sustainability in tourism and how to scale conservation innovation. She has extensive experience in the effective management of large-scale interdisciplinary and international projects, communication of science to various audiences, design and implementation of courses and programs, fundraising, and primary data collection and analysis. She is a member of the IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy CEESP."

Added Value: Cristina Chaminade is a renowned expert on regional innovation systems, global innovation networks, and social innovation. She has extensive experience in conducting and supervising research projects on energy transitions and sustainability, both in Europe and in developing countries. As a co-supervisor of a Ph.D Thesis on this topic, she would provide valuable insights and guidance on the theoretical and empirical aspects of the research, as well as on the policy implications and recommendations. She would also facilitate the access to relevant data sources, networks, and stakeholders in the field of energy and sustainability. Cristina Chaminade would be an asset for the successful completion of the Ph.D Thesis and the dissemination of its results.

Other Co-Supervisor Photo

Cristián Ducoing

Other Co-Supervisor

Email: cristianarturo.ducoing@unavarra.es

Organization Type: University

Organization Name: UPNA and Lund University

Short Biography: Cristian Ducoing is Senior Talent Researcher “Andía” at Public University of Navarre and has recently completed a two-week course on Doctoral Supervision at his former institution, Lund University. He obtained a Degree in History from the University of Chile and completed his PhD in Economic History at the University of Barcelona (2012). He has worked as a researcher and teacher in the University Pompeu Fabra, University of Valparaiso, Umeå University and the Department of Economic History in Lund University. His areas of work are natural resources and development, historical national accounts, and sustainability. His research has been published in Scandinavian Economic History Reviwe, Sustainability, Australian Economic History Review, Resources Policy among other international journals. He has co-authored more than 10 book chapters and has obtained funding from public and private research funding bodies. Additionally, he will supervise two Ph.D candidates during the period 2024 - 2028.

Added Value: Cristian Ducoing represents an extremely valuable asset for the MSCA COFOUND proposal. He has multiple academic networks around the world, including Chile, Sweden, the UK, New Zealand, Uruguay, among others. These networks provide multiple opportunities for collaboration and future research visits for the Ph.D candidate. His contacts outside academia are also valuable when considering opportunities different or complementary to research inside universities. As a co-supervisor in a thesis about energy prices, commodities, and Latin America, he can provide valuable guidance and feedback on research design, data collection, interpretation, and presentation of results. He can also help contextualize findings within the broader literature and specific regional characteristics of Latin America.

ResearchGroup

Description: Our group is an integral part of the "History and Economics research group 315" at UPNA, recognized by the National Research Agency (ANEP) for its international excellence. This group consists of 28 researchers, including Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, postdocs, and PhD students. Our specific research focus within this group is energy history and natural resources. Our primary objective is to analyse the historical development of energy systems, their economic and social impacts, and the challenges and opportunities for a sustainable energy transition. Research topics encompass the history of energy consumption and production, the role of natural resources in economic development, environmental consequences of energy use, and the policies and institutions shaping energy markets. Our group is affiliated with the Excellence Research Network (Red Temática de Excelencia, ECO2017- 90848-REDT) in Globalization, Growth, and Inequality (19th-21st centuries), known as GLOCREd. This network includes research teams from several universities, and seven of them have R+D projects funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy. Furthermore, our energy history subgroup has a broader international network that extends to universities in Europe and Latin America.

ResearchLine

Description: The line of research is Energy Inertia, the path dependence of previous investments in our current and future energy systems. This research will provide fundamental inputs to understand this unanswered nexus focusing on two specific and interconnected areas: a) A deep statistical and qualitative analysis of machinery and horsepower prices in Latin America and Europe and their relation with modern energy carriers (1850 - 2020) and b) a macro level analysis on the interdependence between capital stocks and energy in the former and current periphery (such as Scandinavia, Southern Europe, Japan, Latin America and South Africa). These regions have been chosen because they represent excellent examples to understand the current energy transition processes in countries with middle and low-income levels. Both areas will provide a relevant a useful indicator, the energy inertia index (EII), a composed measure to know how fast the energy transition could be considering past investment decisions and energy carriers.

Others

Description: The Ph.D. thesis at the department of Economics, Public University of Navarre, explores the topic of energy transitions and prices. I examine how different factors, such as technological innovation, policy interventions, market dynamics and consumer behavior, affect the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. It will be use econometric methods to estimate the price elasticity of demand and supply for various energy commodities and services. We develop simulation models to forecast the future scenarios of energy consumption and production under different assumptions. The main contribution of my thesis is to provide a comprehensive and rigorous analysis of the economic implications of energy transitions, both at the micro and macro level. My research is aligned with the principles of the MSCA Green Charter, a framework that promotes sustainable and ethical research practices among the Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Actions fellows and beneficiaries. By following the MSCA Green Charter, I have ensured that my research is relevant, responsible and impactful.

CareerDevelopment

Objectives

  • Future postdoc employment at the University
  • Increased employability in the non-academic sector
  • International mobility
  • Building collaborative networks
  • Trainings to enhance career opportunities
  • Application of postdoctoral grants (MSCA, Juan de la Cierva, etc.)
  • Application for projects and funding (Horizon Europe, national plans, etc.)
  • Involvement in teaching, supervision, or mentoring

Expected Outputs

  • PhD defense
  • Application of grants (MSCA, Juan de la Cierva, etc.)
  • Publication of articles
  • Attendance to international conferences

Training Skills

  • Project Management
  • Time Management
  • Grant Writing
  • Communication to the civil society and public engagement
  • Open Science
  • Gender and diversity dimension of research
  • Ethics and Research Integrity
  • Teaching
  • Supervision
  • Policy making, such as Green Deal and sustainable practices
  • Research Valorization
  • Business skills, negotiation, marketing
  • Leadership
  • Training for job interviews, CV writing
  • Advanced Digital Skills
  • Spanish
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