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POSITIONS HELD:
2013-2016 UNITED NATIONS, Chief, Development Strategies and Policy/Senior Advisor for Macro-economic policy, UN HQ, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), New York
Director (D1) at UN DESA responsible for UN flagship publications including World Economic and Social Surveys 2013, 2014 and Millennium Development Goals Gap Task Force Report 2015. Contributed to various Secretary-General reports on issues of MDG achievement and implications for Sustainable Development Goals. Senior Advisor on macro-economic policy working for UN Member States.
2011-2013 EU ADVISORY GROUP, Team Leader and Trade Policy Advisor,
Government of the Republic of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia
Team Leader of the EU Advisory Group (EUAG), requested by the Government of Armenia as part of the European Neighbourhood Policy, advising on EU Association Agreement negotiations, DCFTA negotiations, visa/border security agreements, circular migration and political and parliamentary cooperation. Worked closely with Ministries of Economy, of Finance, of Agriculture to advise the country how to develop close relations with EU.
2009-2011 INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE, Acting Director and Lead Economist, Geneva, Switzerland
As Member of SMC responsible for the implementation of the Trade-related Technical Assistance programme across Asia and Africa, focusing on market access, private sector and global trade flows. Lead author for ITC 2010 Flagship Report on Market Access, Transparency and Fairness in Global Trade.
2007-2009 DRC-Global, Director, Research and Advisory assignments, Brussels, Belgium
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Study for Trade Section of EUDEL Thailand, to assess improved market access in the financial services and insurance sectors. -
Trade-Related capacity building for the EU-ESA Economic Partnership Agreement: Advisory study on ‘New Trade Issues’. -
Formulation Mission for EUDEL China to “Support to China’s Sustainable Trade and Investment System” (multi-year budget EUR 19 million) in support of China’s economic, trade and investment reforms. -
EU-India Civil Society Initiative and Culture Fund, Identification mission across 7 states in India to identify appropriate themes, focus, targets and modalities for the Euro 20 million grant scheme. -
Sustainability Impact Assessment SIA study (economic, social, environment) of the Europe-China Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) to provide analytical support for the PCA negotiations. Extensive public consultations including 7 sector case studies.
1997-2007 EUROPEAN INSTITUTE FOR ASIAN STUDIES (EIAS), Director, initially Research Director, Brussels, Belgium
Offer strategic and innovative leadership to the external relations think tank, supported by the EU budget, to facilitate economic, political and developmental relationships between the EU and Asian countries, with a particular focus on issues of trade policy and agreements, economic and political partnerships and academic networks supporting EU policy decision making. Fund raising several major grants for the work on EU-Asia political and economic relations from EU-budget sources as well as research foundations.
2002-2004 BANGLADESH INSTITUTE FOR DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (BIDS), Senior Advisor on Economic Policy Reform and Trade Cooperation in South Asia, Dhaka, Bangladesh
To analyse trade performance across South Asia in the context of trade policy reforms. Included assessment of changes in comparative advantage as well as gravity modelling to determine regional economic integration. Co-editor of Economic Policy Reform and Trade Performance in South Asia, published by University Press Ltd, Dhaka, December 2004.
1995-1997 INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION, Senior Economist, Geneva, Switzerland
Responsible for a comparative study on the impact of adjustment programmes on employment and labour markets in Sub-Saharan Africa. Special focus on trade liberalization, privatization and public sector reforms. Engaging a team of researchers across East and Southern Africa (Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe). Conducted research on the determinants of real wages and trade policy regimes. Editor with Rolph van der Hoeven of Adjustment, Employment and Missing Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa (Published James Currey/Heinemann, Oxford);
1992-1995 UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, Queen Elizabeth House, Research Associate, Oxford, United Kingdom
Research and advisory assignments include State Planning Committee, Vietnam, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Short term Advisor, (1994 for 6 weeks); Oxford and Geneva, Trade Diversification in the Least Development Countries, for UNCTAD; (1992-1993, Special Service Agreements).
Oxford and Geneva, 'Adjustment and Social Funds: Political Panacea or Effective Poverty Reduction?' A critical assessment of programmes context of structural adjustment (co-author of Prof Frances Stewart, published in Poverty and Adjustment, Routledge, 1995).
Prepared 'A Review of Research Literature on the Impact of Structural Adjustment' for an international conference, on the request of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Published as chapter of Structural Adjustment and Beyond Published James Currey, London, 1994.
Research on ‘Forecasting Agricultural Demand in Post-war Kuwait’ to analyse macro-economic and demographic determinants of consumer demand and imports in the post-war context for Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research (several missions 1992-93).
1991-1992 UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT, Senior Economist, Geneva, Switzerland
Team Leader of a comparative study on 'Trade Diversification in Least Developed Countries' focusing on Asia (Bangladesh, Laos) on Africa (Benin, Cape Verde, Madagascar, Mozambique, Niger, Uganda) and Haiti. To identify how national macro- and microeconomic policies affect LDCs trade expansion and diversification. Includes a discussion of international measures to support LDC trade diversification. See Trade Diversification in the Least Developed Countries, (1997) Edward Elgar Ltd.
1987-1991 UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, Queen Elizabeth House, Senior Research Economist, Food Studies Group, Oxford, United Kingdom
Research Assignments include: Food Market Liberalisation model: Design and development a multi-sectoral simulation model of South and East African cereal markets; initiated empirical implementation for Ethiopia and Zimbabwe.
Financial Impact Simulation model: Econometric analysis of price-acreage responses of smallholder tobacco production and assessment of food security risks of producer price increases in Malawi. Prepared a simulation model of trading accounts of the agricultural marketing corporation to evaluate the financial impact of government's producer and consumer price policies on the corporation. Convenor International Conference on ‘The Management of Structural Adjustment Negotiations’. Developed programme, commissioned authors, Editor of the volume Negotiating Structural Adjustment Published James Currey, Oxford, 1994.
1984-1986 UNITED NATIONS (UNDTCD) Macro-Economic Planner, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Prepare an applied general equilibrium model for analysis of policy-options during the Third Five Year Plan of Bangladesh; execution of simulations and briefing of senior policy makers from the Ministry of Finance and Central Bank. Training at the Planning Commission, Dhaka, Bangladesh, in model building, econometric analysis and trade policy regimes (UN Department for Technical Cooperation and Development (DTCD), P-4 appointment).
1983-1984 CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY, Tutor at the Faculty of Economics and Politics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Classes: 'Quantitative Methods of Economic Analysis' for M.Phil and Diploma in Development Economics. Tripos Tutorials in Introductory Statistics.
1980-1982 INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL STUDIES, Research Officer, The Hague, Netherlands
- Employment and Restructuring of the Dutch Economy (with Prof. Louis Emmerij) - International Finance and Development (with Prof. Valpy FitzGerald)
1981-1982 UNIVERSITY OF LEIDEN, Lecturer in Economics (part-time), Leiden, Netherlands
Undergraduate Lectures on: - Introduction to Economic Theory - Introduction to Development Economics.
