Academic Interests
Development economics, international trade and global value chains, political economy, labor economics.
Personal website.
Teaching
Fall 2026
Spring 2027
Higher education and employment history
- Head of the bachelor's programme in Economics and Data Science, University of Oslo, 2024–
- Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics, University of Oslo, 2024–
- Senior Adviser, Norad, 2022–2024
- Manager, Oslo Economics, 2018–2021
- PhD in Economics, University of Oslo, 2018
- M.Phil. in Economics, University of Oslo, 2013
- Visiting graduate student, University of Washington, 2012
- Bachelor of Business Administration, Oslo University College, 2010
Tags:
Growth and Development,
International Economics,
Economics,
Income Employment and Welfare
Publications
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Alpino, Matteo & Hammersmark, Eivind M.
(2021).
The Role of Historical Christian Missions in the Location of World Bank Aid in Africa.
World Bank Economic Review.
ISSN 0258-6770.
35(1),
p. 207–233.
doi:
10.1093/wber/lhz050.
Full text in Research Archive
-
Knutsen, Carl Henrik; Kotsadam, Andreas; Olsen, Eivind Hammersmark & Wig, Tore
(2017).
Mining and Local Corruption in Africa.
American Journal of Political Science (AJPS).
ISSN 0092-5853.
61(2),
p. 320–334.
doi:
10.1111/ajps.12268.
Full text in Research Archive
Show summary
We investigate whether mining affects local corruption in Africa. Several cross-country analyses report that natural resources have adverse effects on political institutions by increasing corruption, whereas other country-level studies show no evidence of such “political resource curses.” These studies face well-known endogeneity and other methodological issues, and employing micro-level data would allow for drawing stronger inferences. Hence, we connect 92,762 Afrobarometer survey respondents to spatial data on 496 industrial mines. Using a difference-in-differences strategy, we find that mining increases bribe payments, and this result is robust to using alternative models. Mines are initially located in less corrupt areas, but mining areas turn more corrupt after mines open. When exploring mechanisms, we find that local economic activity relates differently to corruption in mining and non-mining areas, suggesting that mining income incentivizes and enables local officials already present to require more bribes. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Knutsen, C. H., Kotsadam, A., Olsen, E. H. and Wig, T. (2017), Mining and Local Corruption in Africa. American Journal of Political Science, 61: 320–334., which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12268. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
View all works in NVA
Published
Aug. 14, 2024 12:03 PM
- Last modified
Oct. 1, 2026 5:03 PM
