Dr Vitaliia Ohanesian (PhD in Economics)
Visiting Researcher
Contact details
- Email: v1vohane@ed.ac.uk
Background
Vitaliia Ohanesian is a Visiting Researcher at the University of Edinburgh and an agricultural economist specialising in international agricultural trade, agricultural export forecasting, and food-system resilience.
She holds a PhD in Economics and has over a decade of academic and research experience, including a previous appointment as a Research Scientist at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
Her research integrates econometric modelling, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to investigate agricultural trade dynamics, with particular emphasis on Black Sea grain exports and the effects of geopolitical disruptions on international food supply chains.
Her current work focuses on developing forecasting and early-warning approaches to identify emerging risks in agricultural trade, assess maritime trade disruptions, and improve understanding of food-system vulnerability and resilience. Her broader research interests encompass agricultural market uncertainty, international commodity trade, and evidence-based approaches to managing trade-related risks.
Qualifications
PhD in Economics (Candidate of Economic Sciences, Ukraine), awarded 2016.
Associate Professor (Docent) - Academic title awarded in Ukraine.
Responsibilities & affiliations
Visiting Researcher - University of Edinburgh, UK
Research in agricultural economics, international agricultural trade, agricultural export forecasting, and food-system resilience.
Academic affiliation - Newcastle University, UK
Research collaboration in agricultural trade modelling, forecasting, and the analysis of disruptions to international agricultural supply chains.
Research summary
My research lies at the intersection of agricultural economics, international trade, and quantitative modelling, with a particular focus on the resilience of agricultural trade systems under geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
I investigate the dynamics of Black Sea grain exports, maritime agricultural trade flows, and the transmission of geopolitical and logistical disruptions through international food supply chains. My methodological interests include econometric modelling, time-series forecasting, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, with particular emphasis on integrating vessel-level shipping data and agricultural market information to improve the monitoring and forecasting of trade flows.
A central objective of my research is to advance data-driven forecasting and early-warning approaches that can identify emerging trade disruptions, assess their potential implications for agricultural markets, and inform decisions related to food security, trade policy, and supply chain resilience.
Current research interests
Agricultural economics and international agricultural trade Black Sea grain markets and maritime export dynamics Geopolitical risk and disruptions to global agricultural supply chains AI and machine learning applications in agricultural trade forecasting Econometric modelling and time-series analysis Vessel-level shipping data and maritime trade risk assessment Early-warning systems for agricultural trade disruptions Food-system resilience, food security, and international commodity marketsPast research interests
Agricultural innovation and the economics of crop variety adoption Economic evaluation of plant breeding and varietal improvement Producer benefits and economic returns from agricultural research Crop yield performance, regional adaptation, and varietal evaluation Agricultural productivity, farm-level economic outcomes, and technology adoptionKnowledge exchange
My research seeks to bridge academic analysis and practical decision-making in agricultural markets by developing quantitative approaches to understanding trade dynamics, forecasting export flows, and assessing supply chain vulnerabilities.
The application of econometric methods, artificial intelligence, and vessel-level maritime data offers opportunities to support agricultural market monitoring, identify emerging trade disruptions, and improve the evidence base available to policymakers, commodity market analysts, and agricultural trade stakeholders.
My work on agricultural innovation and crop variety adoption also contributes to the economic evaluation of agricultural research by examining the implications of technological improvement, varietal performance, and adoption patterns for agricultural productivity and producer outcomes.
Through interdisciplinary research and international academic collaboration, I aim to strengthen the exchange of methodological knowledge and contribute to more informed approaches to agricultural trade risk assessment, food-system resilience, and evidence-based agricultural policy.