TIE Affiliation

Environmental Research Fellowship

Research

Climate change mitigation needs a transformative change in the energy structure of countries. As countries undergo a green transition of their economies, policymakers look for ways to address developmental imperatives such as employment and energy access. Existing scholarly literature does not shine a light on how policymakers design multiple-objective policies and what implications it has for achieving intended socio-economic outcomes. This dissertation will explore how countries use industrial policy tools to address socio-economic imperatives while they undergo a green transition. The dissertation will unpack the endogenous relationship between national objectives, industrial policies, and policy outcomes. Using causal process tracing and comparative case study methodologies, the dissertation will compare the green industrial policies of India, China, Ethiopia, and South Africa in the electricity sector. The project hopes to provide policy insights to other countries trying to use green industrial policies as a means of achieving socio-economic co-benefits.

Experience

Easwaran is a PhD candidate at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy studying International Relations with the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy (CIERP). He expects to complete his studies in August 2020. Before coming to Tufts, Easwaran earned his B.S. in Engineering from BITS Pilani in India, and his M.S. in Engineering from Texas A&M University. Easwaran also earned his M.A. in Law and Diplomacy from Fletcher in 2015. Easwaran also worked as a design engineer at Intel Corporation for five years, and a co-op engineer at Advanced Micro Devices for one year. At Tufts, Easwaran has served as the content co-director and panel coordinator for the Tufts Energy Conference, and the energy events lead for the Fletcher Energy and Environment Club.

Current Studies and Future Goals

When asked what he found most meaningful about his field of study, Easwaran responded with the following: "My current fields of study are environmental policy and development economics. I find the opportunity to understand the synergies and trade-offs involved in addressing development and environmental imperatives to be the most meaningful aspect of my field of study".

When asked what interested him becoming a TIE Fellow, Easwaran responded with the following: "TIE's support for interdisciplinary environmental research was one of the main reasons I applied for this fellowship. It is rare to find fellowships that encourage students to conduct interdisciplinary research and explore topics that necessitates one to go beyond disciplinary boundaries".

Easwaran hopes to be in the world of thoughts and ideas as either an academic or environmental policy analyst once he finishes his studies at Tufts.

Fun Facts!

When not doing schoolwork, Easwaran can be found running, and reading storybooks/playing puzzles with his 3-year-old daughter.