This week, the JFKI – Economics department will be hosting a guest lecture as a part of the “Topics in Economic Development” course. The lecture will feature the global state of poverty and inequality from a policy making perspective and with a special emphasis on the Arab region. It will also discuss the implications of Covid-19 as well as policy recommendations to reduce its social and economic costs.

The lecture will be given by two renowned practitioners and speakers in this field: 

Dr. Khalid Abu-Ismail

Senior Economist at UN-ESCWA, ERF Policy Affiliate and former UNDP Policy Adviser and Faculty Member of the Economics Department of the Lebanese American University. Lead author/co-author of over 20 UN Flagship publications including “Arab Vision 2030 Report” (ESCWA, 2015), “Arab Development Challenges Reports” (UNDP, 2009 and 2012), “Arab Middle Class” (ESCWA, 2014), “Rethinking Economic Growth” (ILO and UNDP, 2012), “Arab Multi-Dimensional Poverty Report” (LAS, OPHI, UNICEF and ESCWA, 2017) and “Rethinking Inequality in Arab Countries” (ESCWA and ERF, 2019). D. Phil. in Development Economics from the New School for Social Research in New York.

Dr. Vladimir Hlasny

Economic affairs officer with UN-ESCWA (Beirut), Poverty and inequality research team. Previously an associate professor of Economics at Ewha Womans University (Seoul). His work is concerned with labor market conditions and the distribution of economic outcomes in Asia and the Middle East. His research has been published in general-interest journals including the World Bank Economic Review, Review of Income and Wealth, Journal of Regulatory Economics, Development and Change, and Social Science Quarterly. PhD in Economics from Michigan State University.