Meelis Kitsing is the Rector and Professor of Political Economy at Estonian Business School. Previously, Meelis Kitsing worked as Head of Research at Foresight Center, a think-tank at the Estonian Parliament, an Adviser at the Strategy Unit of the Estonian Government Office and Head of Economic Analysis at the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication. He also served as the President of Estonian Economic Association and chaired the supervisory boards of the public-sector research and development organization Road Technical Centre and the Tallinn municipal company Old Town Real Estate Services. Meelis Kitsing is a member of the boards of the Estonian Council on Foreign Relations, the Estonian Service Industry Association, and Eurofound, a European Union research agency based in Dublin, Ireland. He regularly serves on accreditation committees for the European Foundation for Management Development and national higher education quality agencies, as well as on peer-review committees for research grant allocation by organizations such as the Estonian Research Council and the Foundation for Science and Technology in Portugal, among others. Meelis has also been a member of the Research Awards Committee of the Estonian Republic at the Estonian Academy of Sciences for seven years.
Meelis Kitsing's current research interests focus on political economy of digital platform ecosystems. His research has been published by Transnational Corporations Review, Journal of Politics, Policy and Internet, Journal of Information Technology and Politics as well as by Springer, IEEE, ACM, Leuven University and MIT Press. His academic work has led him to research and teach at prestigious universities across Asia, Europe, and North America, such as the University of Massachusetts, Central European University, Harvard University, the University of Connecticut, the Stockholm School of Economics, and the Institute of Management Technology (Dubai and Ghaziabad campuses). He has been quoted in the Financial Times, Economist, Reader’s Digest, El Comercio and Postimees.
Meelis Kitsing earned his PhD from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (USA), and his MALD degree from the Fletcher School at Tufts University (USA) as a Fulbright scholar. He also holds an MSc from the London School of Economics (UK), where he was a Peacock scholar.
Estonian Research Information System
ResearchGate
Meelis Kitsing is focused on the comparative and international political economy of innovation and technology governance, with an emphasis on integrating foresight methods with political economy perspectives. His expertise includes qualitative research methods, scenario planning, and positivist theorizing.
Some Publications
- Kitsing, M. (2011). Success without strategy: E‐government development in Estonia. Policy & Internet, 3(1).
- Kitsing, M. (2020). Scenarios as thought experiments for governance. In J. Werner & G. Bouckaert (Eds.), European perspectives for public administration: The way forward (pp. xx–xx). Leuven University Press.
- Kitsing, M. (2021). The political economy of digital ecosystems: Scenario planning for alternative futures. Routledge.
- Kitsing, M. (2022a). Geopolitical risk and uncertainty: How transnational corporations can use scenario planning for strategic resilienceTransnational Corporations Review, 14(4).
- Kitsing, M. (2022b). The price and promise of cryptocurrencies. In R. Anena & R. Dygas (Eds.), Digital currencies and the new global financial system (pp. xx–xx). Routledge.
Ongoing Projects
- Projects JUST and MUDIRO focused on training and implementing change initiatives in Moldova, Uganda, and Ukraine. Funded by ESTDEV.
- The EBS Summer School on Digitalization and Sustainability is tailored for postgraduate students and professionals worldwide. It is supported through participant contributions and funding from various donors.
Courses Currently Taught
- Institutional Economics for doctoral candidates
- Future Trends for Innovation for MA students
- Managerial Economics for MBA students.
Awards and Honors
- Fulbright Scholar at the Fletcher School of Tufts University.
- Peacock Scholar at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
- Best Research Paper Award. 7th Annual International Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Global Science and Technology Forum. Singapore. November 27-28, 2017.
- Atlas Economic Research Foundation and John Templeton Foundation Scholar at the Estonian Business School
Media Appearances and Non-Academic Publications
- Kitsing, M. (1999–2024). Op-eds in Estonian business daily Äripäev.
- Kitsing, M. (2021). Digital futures for Europe. ECIPE Policy Brief.
- Kitsing, M. (2023a). Eesti liigub ettevõtliku riigi suunas. Arenguseire Keskus.
- Kitsing, M. (2023b). Estonia’s plain and simple tax policy. National Review.
- Kitsing, M. (2024a). Estonian reforms and competitiveness: Past, present and future trajectories. Institute of Central Europe.
- Kitsing, M., Uuk, R., & Tulvik, E. (2024b, February 19). Eurooopa tehisaru määrus: Brüsseli efekt või defekt? Postimees.