Fransisco Toro joined the MERIT/UNU-INTECH PhD programme in September 2003. His research focuses on the determinants of the EU's external trade policy, in particular with regard to the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations. Documenting the impact of sectoral pressure on the European Comission's trade policy orientation, it tracks the impact of disruptive innovations on the underlying trade policy preferences of European industry.

Prior to joining the programme he worked as a magazine editor and freelance journalist in Caracas, collaborating with a variety of Venezuelan and international media outlets including The New York Times and The Washington Post. He has maintained a keen interest in Venezuelan affairs, publishing on the political economy of the Venezuelan petrostate.

Fransisco holds a BA in Political Science from Reed College (Portland, Oregon, USA) an MSc. in Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics, and a Graduate Diploma in International Studies from Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies.