Michael Dorsch’s IMéRA residency in 3 questions
The economist Michael Dorsch answers our questions about his IMéRA residency.

Michael Dorsch is Professor of Economics at Central European University, in the School of Public Policy in Budapest. At IMéRA, he is the holder of the Chair AMSE/IMéRA “un monde en crise”. His research topic at IMéRA is: Asylum Seekers, Voters, and Populists: The European Refugee Crisis in a Domestic Political Context
What motivated your choice to come to IMéRA to work on this research project: Asylum Seekers, Voters, and Populists: The European Refugee Crisis in a Domestic Political Context?
I have always viewed Marseille to be one of the most exciting cities in Europe. As an historical port city, Marseille has for long been a Mediterranean gateway to France and Europe, which is very interesting given my current research interests in the political economy of globalization. The project with which I applied to IMéRA, “Asylum Seekers, Voters, and Populists: The European Refugee Crisis in a Domestic Political Context,” is part of a broader project entitled “Domestic Political Economy in a Globalized World,” in which I am investigating how the economic consequences of various aspects of globalization (of which immigration is one) affect political behavior (of voters and politicians) in a domestic political context. Thus the history of Marseille as a historical hotbed of economic globalization is extremely relevant for my research. Moreover, I have had professional ties to AMU for a long time. My principal research collaborator holds a PhD from AMSE and I have previously co-authored papers with professors at AMSE, where I first visited in 2013.

What process do you follow during your residency at IMéRA?
During my residence at IMéRA, I am putting together an ERC H2020 grant based on the broader project conducted by a team led by Jo Rtizen (former World Bank Vice President and professor of Economics at Maastricht University) and teaching a PhD class at the Aix-Marseille School of Economics also based on the broader project called “Domestic Politics in the Global Economy.” I am also working to advance another project, “History, Trust in Institutions, and Regulatory Compliance,” on which my CBS presentation later in May will be based.
What outcomes do you plan to give to your research project by the end of your residence and after?
While at IMéRA, I intend to strengthen these research links with AMSE on a new project that concerns the extent to which the social norms that dictate economic and political behavior of immigrants may adapt to the local environment. It is a very exciting project that would not be possible without access to the broad expertise of economists at AMSE and the intellectual stimulation of living in Marseille. The vibrant academic environment at IMéRA has already added an indispensable inter-disciplinary angle to my research outlook. I am very grateful for the opportunity to spend my sabbatical from CEU in such an exciting space, where I can learn from the viewpoints of my colleagues in anthropology, political science, philosophy, literature, musical and cultural studies, and design.
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