PhD Thesis

Title: The key aim of the research is to assess the external-governance implications of the EU's active regulatory policy in the negotiation of free trade agreements (FTAs) between the Union and its commercial counterparts.

PhD Supervisor: Cédric Dupont

Expected completion date: 2025

Leopoldo's PhD project delves into the relationship between domestic politics and international trade and investment institutions. It examines the interplay between institutional design, enforcement mechanisms, and their impact on trade and investment governance. His ongoing publication work focuses on the political economy of the implementation of modern preferential trade agreements (PTAs). It also address the governance ramifications of institutional aspects, such as the provisional enforcement of PTAs and treaty provisions establishing joint enforcement bodies, advisory groups, and periodic consultations.

Profile
 

Leopoldo is a PhD Candidate in the Department of International Relations/ Political Science at the Graduate Institute. He received a master’s degree in International Relations/Political Science from the Graduate Institute of International Studies and Development in September 2020. On that occasion, he was awarded the 2020 Prize of the Department of International Relations/Political Science for his thesis titled “Too Complex or Too Ambitious? Exploring hurdles in the enforcement of EU free trade agreements”. Leopoldo holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in International Relations from the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. He has worked as a research assistant both at the Graduate Institute and at the University of St. Gallen, and as public affairs consultant at Access Partnership Ltd.

Academic Work experience

Research Experience

• Research Assistant, SNF project "Crisis, Criticism, and Change in the Investment Arbitration System", University of Geneva 
• Research Assistant, Global Enforcement in the Financial Industry (GEFI) Project, University of  St. Gallen (2021)
• Research Assistant, Chair of Comparative Politics, University of St. Gallen (2020)
• Research Assistant, Centre for Trade and Economic Integration, the Graduate Institute (2020)

Fellowships, Grants and Awards

2020 Prize of the Department of International Relations/Political Science, the Graduate Institute

Research Interests
 

• European Union
• Trade & Investment 
• Internatioal organization 
• Political economy 
• Sociology
• Philosophy of science
• 20th Century history
• Economic theory
• Philosophy of music

Relevant Publications and Works
 

• Biffi, L., Winkler, C. 2023. ‘When Win-Sets Turn Volatile: Measuring the Effect of Domestic Uncertainty on the Formation and Design of Preferential Trade Agreements'. Working paper presented at the 15th Annlual Conference on The Political Economy of International Organization (University of California, San Diego)
• Biffi, L. 2021. Too Complex or Too Ambitious? Exploring hurdles in the enforcement of EU free trade agreements. Graduate Institute Publications.
   

Other work experiences
 

• EU & UK Public Affairs Consultant at Access Partnership Ltd. (London, United Kingdom, 2020-2021)