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Jac­ob Hjorts­berg

Postdoc

Subjects
Medicine International law Value chains 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.