Hadar Hoter Ishay

I am a doctoral student at the Department of Economic and Social History. I have a BA in History and Political Science from Tel Aviv University, graduated Magna cum Laude, and MA in Erasmus Mundus Global Studies from Vienna University and Ghent University, graduated Summa cum Laude.

Research Interests: I am interested in 19^th-century merchant banking, sovereign lending, and sovereign debts and their connections with and influences on the century's international trading system.

Current Research Project: My doctoral dissertation, titled "Sovereign Lending and International Trade in the House of Baring, 1828-1890," examines the business strategies of Baring Brothers & Co., one of the most influential merchant banking companies in the 19^th century. Through a case-study comparative approach, the dissertation investigates ways the Barings and their agents used their status as financiers of governments to influence their trade policies and promote international trade during the first wave of globalization. The dissertation thus focuses on historical connections between sovereign debt and international trade while analyzing the dual conduct of prominent merchant bankers and exposing these supranational players' influence on the global economy.