Rob's role at NTU embraces the full range of academic activities. His main teaching is on the Economics of European Union but, in most years, he contributes to a range of undergraduate and postgraduate modules on international and applied economics. He has also taught introductory level Economics and Industrial Economics. Rob places a great emphasis on research-informed teaching.
Within the Division of Economics Rob is currently Module Leader for the Level 3 module Jean Monnet Europe and the World Economy, and Module Leader for the Level 3 Research Project in Economics. He is also the Division's Placement co-ordinator. He is a member of the NBS Research Policy Group. He chairs the NBS School Research Ethics Committee and is a member of the College Research Ethics Committee.
Rob's teaching on the Economics of the EU has received financial support from the European Commission. In 2004 he was awarded 'Jean Monnet' funding to support the creation and initial years' teaching of his module Europe and the World Economy. In 2010 he was awarded a Jean Monnet Chair in European Economic Studies, again with funding which supports his teaching and his teaching-related research activities.
In 2012 Rob was awarded Nottingham Trent Students Union's Outstanding Teaching Award, 2012, for NBS.
Rob's research is in applied economics and public policy analysis. He has particular expertise in EU policies, the WTO and agricultural trade policies, and biofuels policies. More details can be found under the 'Research' tab.
Prior to joining NTU in 2000, Rob was Lecturer in European Economics in the Department of Economics, University of Leicester. He was Deputy Director of the Centre for European Studies, Programme Leader for the MA in European Economic Studies and also held a Jean Monnet Chair in European Economic Studies. This provided a solid foundation for the career development seen since 2000 here at NTU, where he progressed from Senior Lecturer, to Reader in European Economics in 2006, and to Professor of European Economics and Policy in 2010.
Rob's research is in the areas of applied Economics and public policy analysis. He has particular expertise in EU policies, the World Trade Organisation and agricultural trade policies, and biofuels policies. In recent years, his work on biofuels policies has expanded to embrace wider issues of food security, energy security and sustainability.
Rob has published many articles over the years on these topics, in leading applied economics and public policy journals including:
- Governance, the Journal of Rural Studies
- the Journal of European Public Policy
- the Journal of Common Market Studies
- the Journal of European Social Policy
- the Journal of Agricultural Economics
- Eurochoices.
He is the author or a book on the Common Agricultural Policy and is currently preparing a book, with Dr Adrian Kay of the Australian National University, on biofuels policies.
Rob has given a number of presentations to academic conferences and seminar series, but he has also given papers to student conferences, civil society meetings and at meetings with policy-makers.
Rob has supervised to successful completion several PhD candidates, covering a wide range of both applied Economics and social science topics.
Rob's research has resulted in him giving many papers at conferences, other Universities and to policy-makers. Several of thse have been invited contributions to the public policy seminars and discussions, including:
- Sustainable Food and Farming: What will be the impact of reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and the WTO Round. QMW Public Policy Seminar 'Delivering Effective Sustainable Farming and Food', London, 16 July 2003.
- Is a Rational EU Budget Possible? Federal Trust seminar on 'The EU Budget Review - Does Britain Needs Its Rebate?', London Metropolitan University, 20 March 2009.
- WTO regulations and bioenergy sustainability certification - synergies and possible conflicts. Joint EUBIONET3-International Energy Agency Task 40 workshop 'International trade and bioenergy commodities: experiences with certification and setting up sustainable supply chains', GSE, Rome, 21 October 2010.
- The Budget for the CAP Going Forward. Westminster Food and Nutrition Forum Keynote Seminar 'Reforming the Common Agricultural Policy: Implications for UK Agricultural and Rural Areas. Hosted by the Royal Society, London, 29 November 2011.
- The New Budget and the Budget Rebate. 'The UK and the European Union Budget 2014-2020', Centre for European Politics, Royal Holloway University of London, and funded by the European Commission, 16 March 2012.
As a result of his work on the EU Budget, Rob has been invited (in 2004, 2006 and 2011) to submit evidence of House to House of Lords European Union Committee Inquiries.
Rob is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Common Market Studies, the Editorial Advisory Board for the Journal of International Trade Law and Policy, an Associate Editor for Economic Issues, and a member of the Steering Group for EuroChoices.
Rob has acted as External Examiner for PhDs at Cambridge University and Utrecht University.
Rob has had Visiting Fellowships to Griffith University (in 2007) and to the Centre for European Studies, Australian National University (in 2012).
Professor Ackrill can provide comments on agricultural policies; European Union policies; and biofuel policies, including those in relation to food security, energy security and sustainability.
