Prof. Dr. Axel Dreher
Professor of International and Development Politics
Alfred-Weber-Institute for Economics, Heidelberg University · Director, Center for European Studies (CefES)
About
Understanding the politics behind global development
Axel Dreher studies how international institutions, foreign aid, and great-power competition shape the economic and political fortunes of developing countries — and why their effects so often diverge from official intentions. His work lies at the intersection of political economy, development economics, and international relations, combining rigorous empirical analysis with major datasets that he has helped build from the ground up.
He created the widely used KOF Globalization Index and co-developed geocoded aid datasets that underpin much of the modern empirical literature on foreign assistance, including through collaborations with AidData. His research addresses questions such as whether foreign aid buys political influence, or how China is reshaping development finance — and with what consequences for recipient countries and for the institutions built at Bretton Woods.
Before joining Heidelberg University, Dreher held positions at ETH Zurich and the universities of Göttingen, Konstanz, Mannheim, and Exeter, as well as visiting appointments across three continents. He is Director of CefES, a Faculty Associate at AidData, and a Fellow of CEPR, CESifo, KOF, and the European Development Network (EUDN). He is also the founding editor of the Review of International Organizations and a co-organizer of the Political Economy of International Organization conference series.
Research
Widely cited, widely applied
Dreher’s research doesn’t stay in the journals — his globalization index and aid datasets are standard tools used by economists, political scientists, and international organizations worldwide.
Signature contributions
- Creator of the KOF Globalization Index, the benchmark measure used across economics and political science to study globalization’s effects on growth, inequality, and policy.
- Widely cited empirical work on foreign aid effectiveness, donor motives, and the political economy of aid allocation.
- Leading research on China’s overseas development finance — its scale, aims, and geopolitical impact — built on geocoded project-level data.
- Influential studies on IMF and World Bank governance, conditionality, and how voting power at the UN correlates with aid flows.
Recognition
- Member, Leopoldina — German National Academy of Sciences
- Germany’s #1 ranked Political Scientist — research.com
- #2 in Economics & Finance, Germany — research.com
- Top-300 economist — ScholarGPS
- Fellow, CEPR
- Fellow, CESifo
- Fellow, KOF
- Fellow, EUDN
- Faculty Associate, AidData
Media
A go-to voice on aid, China, and global institutions
Journalists and policymakers turn to Dreher when the story requires more than opinion — when it needs data. He translates dense empirical research into clear, evidence-based commentary for outlets and institutions around the world.
Using georeferenced data across 131 low- and middle-income countries, the column shows that higher oil prices pull organized conflict toward petroleum fields — while protests and attacks rise around refineries and pipelines.
Press & broadcast
Print and online features across the FT, The Economist, Washington Post, WSJ, FAZ, Die Zeit, Der Spiegel, BBC, Reuters, and The Guardian, plus broadcast appearances on ARD, ZDF, and international outlets covering development policy and geopolitics.
Core commentary topics
- Foreign aid effectiveness
- China’s global development finance
- IMF & World Bank governance
- Globalization & growth
- Immigration & political polarization
- European competitiveness
Keynotes
Speaking on the economics of power and development
Dreher delivers keynotes and invited talks at academic conferences, policy forums, and corporate strategy meetings — turning frontier research into insight audiences can act on.
Featured: The Future of European Competitiveness
Delivered as the kickoff talk at the Kolb Distribution AG Strategy Meeting (Heidelberg, 2025), this keynote draws on Dreher’s research in trade, institutions, and political economy to lay out what is actually holding European firms and economies back — and what a credible competitiveness agenda requires. A talk built for boards, policymakers, and strategy audiences who need substance, not slogans.
- 01
The Political Economy of Aid Allocation and EffectivenessInternational Conference on Economics of International Interactions — Bari, Italy, 2025
- 02
Wedded to Prosperity? Informal Influence and Regional FavoritismDemocracy and Development in the Global South — University of Zurich, 2024
- 03
Banking on Beijing: The Aims and Impacts of China’s Overseas Development Program (keynote)17th Workshop on Political Economy — Dresden, Germany, November 24–25, 2023
- 04
Immigration, Political Ideologies, and the Polarization of American PoliticsHosting Refugees: National Policies and Local Communities — University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy, 2022
Popular keynote themes
- The future of European competitiveness
- Immigration and political polarization
- Does foreign aid work?
- China’s rise as a development lender
- Globalization, backlash, and growth
- Reforming the IMF and World Bank
- Measuring what matters: building better development data
Contact
Get in touch
For speaking engagements, media inquiries, or research collaboration.
Alfred-Weber-Institute for Economics, Heidelberg University Bergheimer Straße 58, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany +49 6221 54-2921