Merit E. Janow is an American academic, lawyer, and former government official who specializes in international trade, investment, and global business policy. She has held senior positions in both academia and the U.S. government and is widely recognized for her contributions to trade policy analysis and education.
Early life and education
Janow earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University and subsequently obtained a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School. She also holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).
Academic career
Janow is a professor of international business at Columbia Business School, where she teaches courses on international trade, investment, and the global business environment. Her research focuses on the legal and regulatory aspects of trade, services liberalization, and the impact of digital technologies on international commerce. She has authored and co‑authored numerous scholarly articles and book chapters, and she served as the dean of the Columbia Business School’s Columbia Global Center network, overseeing the school’s international outreach and partnership program.
Government service
From 1999 to 2001, Janow served as the Deputy United States Trade Representative (USTR) for Asia and the Pacific under the Clinton administration. In this role, she was responsible for negotiating and implementing U.S. trade policy with Asian economies, including issues related to market access, intellectual property rights, and services liberalization.
Professional affiliations and advisory roles
Janow has been a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the International Trade Commission’s advisory committee. She has served on the boards of various non‑profit and private‑sector organizations dealing with trade and investment, and she frequently advises multinational corporations and governments on trade strategy and regulatory compliance.
Publications and media presence
Janow’s notable publications include The Future of Services Trade (co‑edited with Maarten Timmers) and numerous articles in journals such as World Trade Review and The Journal of International Business Studies. She is a frequent commentator on trade policy issues in major news outlets and at international conferences.
Personal life
Details regarding Janow’s personal life, including her date of birth, are not widely publicized in reliable sources.
Recognition
Janow’s work has been acknowledged through various academic and professional honors, reflecting her influence in shaping contemporary trade policy discourse.
See also
- United States Trade Representative
- International trade law
- Columbia Business School
References
(Encyclopedic entries typically list sources; specific citations are omitted here but are drawn from publicly available biographical profiles, government archives, and academic publications.)