Joep Konings obtained his PhD in Economics (labor econ.) at the London School of Economics in 1994, where he was a student of the Nobel prize winner Christopher Pissarides. Konings is currently a full professor in economics at the University of Leuven. He is a research fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR, London) and IZA, Bonn and held visiting positions at the International Monetary Fund, Dartmouth College, the University of Michigan and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Between November 2008 and March 2010 he has been an economic adviser to President Barroso at the Bureau of European Policy Advisers, European Commission. Konings also served as a Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Leuven, from September 2005 until December 2008.

Konings’ research focuses on firm dynamics and globalization, international trade and micro channels of macroeconomic fluctuations. This includes work on exchange rate pass-through, international competitiveness of firms, productivity growth and labor market distortions. In this context, he has written books that deal with the ‘Enlargement of the European Union with Turkey’ and ‘Reforming the Labor Market in Belgium’. Konings has published various papers in leading academic journals, such as the American Economic Review, The Review of Economics and Statistics, The Journal of International Economics and the Economic Journal. Under his supervision over a dozen of PhD students graduated mainly specializing in empirical economics and took up positions in top universities, such as Princeton University, IESE Business School and LSE, or in International Institutes, such as the European Central Bank.

Konings was IZA Research Fellow from November 1999 until July 2015.