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Jac­ob Hjorts­berg

Postdoc

Subjects
Medicine International law Value chain Multinational company

Primary research areas

In­sulin Value Chains
I fol­low the jour­ney of in­sulin from factor­ies in Den­mark to pa­tients in South­east Asia. The pro­ject looks at how law, lo­gist­ics, and every­day prac­tices shape ac­cess to life-sav­ing medi­cine around the world.
Singa­pore and Au­thor­it­ari­an­ism
I ex­plore how Singa­pore com­bines strict polit­ic­al con­trol with open­ness to glob­al busi­ness. The pro­ject asks what this unique mod­el can tell us about power, trust, and the fu­ture of gov­ernance.

Con­nect­ing glob­al chains to loc­al lives.

I study how global systems — from pharmaceutical supply chains to governance models — shape everyday life. My current research follows the insulin value chain from Denmark to Southeast Asia, exploring how law, logistics, and regulation affect access to life-saving medicine. 

I’m motivated by a curiosity about how complex global networks can work more fairly and effectively. My work combines anthropology, law, and political economy to understand the human and institutional dimensions of globalization. 

Previously, I researched Singapore’s model of governance and economic development, asking how it manages to combine strong state control with openness to global business and innovation. 

Through teaching, research, and collaboration, I aim to connect academic insights with real-world challenges in health, policy, and global governance.