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Student Stories: Assessing Decarbonization (and the Rodeo) in Wyoming

Ryosuke Shimizu photoRyosuke Shimizu is a second-year MPA/ID student at Harvard Kennedy School. He was accepted into the Growth Lab's 2022 Summer Internship Program and contributed to our policy engagement in Wyoming. Initial work will focus on understanding the causes of economic stagnation that have resulted in a deficit of job opportunities. We will also examine the risks and opportunities for the future of Wyoming’s economy, including automation and global decarbonization.... Read more about Student Stories: Assessing Decarbonization (and the Rodeo) in Wyoming

Student Stories: Challenges and Public Sector Growth in Namibia

María Ignacia Ossa is a second-year MPP student at the London School of Economics and Political Science. As part of the Growth Lab's 2022 Summer Internship Program, she contributed to the project in Namibia. This two-year policy engagement with the Government of Namibia focuses on supporting implementation efforts on a range of growth- and inclusion-related challenges.... Read more about Student Stories: Challenges and Public Sector Growth in Namibia

Student Stories: Analyzing Trade with UAE's Ministry of Economy

Enzo Dominguez Prost head shotEnzo Dominguez Prost is a second-year MPA/ID student at Harvard Kennedy School. He was accepted into the Growth Lab's 2022 Summer Internship Program and contributed to the UAE project. Our team is developing rigorous research to inform the Ministry of Economy in devising a dynamic trade policy, geared towards promoting structural transformation in the UAE and achieving sustained long-term economic growth.... Read more about Student Stories: Analyzing Trade with UAE's Ministry of Economy

Student Stories: Forecasting Inflation for the UAE

Fernando Mundaca is currently pursuing a master's degree in the MPA/ID program at Harvard Kennedy School (expected graduation in May 2023). He was accepted into the Growth Lab's 2022 Summer Internship Program and contributed to the UAE project. Our team is developing rigorous research to inform the Ministry of Economy in devising a dynamic trade policy, geared towards promoting structural transformation in the UAE and achieving sustained long-term economic growth.... Read more about Student Stories: Forecasting Inflation for the UAE

Student Stories: Developing Diversification Strategies for African Countries

Benedikt MargrafBenedikt Margraf is a second-year MPA student at the London School of Economics and Political Science. As part of the Growth Lab's 2022 Summer Internship Program, he contributed to the newly formed Pan-Africa research agenda. Our team is exploring the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the underlying constraints that have held African nations back from economic diversification and structural transformation.... Read more about Student Stories: Developing Diversification Strategies for African Countries

2022 Sep 14

Development Talks: Charting the Future of MENA - Q&A with UAE's Minister of Economy

3:00pm to 4:00pm

Location: 

Land Hall (B-400) / Belfer Building & Zoom

The Growth Lab's Development Talks is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working in international development. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both the practice of development and analytical work centered on policy.

Speaker: HE Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Cabinet Member & UAE Minister of Economy

Moderator: Ricardo Hausmann, Director, Growth Lab; Rafik Hariri Professor of the Practice of International Political Economy, HKS

Room attendance is limited...

Read more about Development Talks: Charting the Future of MENA - Q&A with UAE's Minister of Economy

Student Stories: From DEV 309 to Analyzing WAEMU's Impact on Trade

Julia Conrad head shotJulia Conrad is a second-year MPA/ID student at Harvard Kennedy School. She was accepted into the Growth Lab's 2022 Summer Internship Program and contributed to the newly formed Pan-Africa research agenda. Our team is exploring the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the underlying constraints that have held African nations back from economic diversification and structural transformation.... Read more about Student Stories: From DEV 309 to Analyzing WAEMU's Impact on Trade

Student Stories: Overcoming Unique Challenges in the UAE

Harumi Hasegawa photoHarumi Hasegawa Sanchez is a second-year MPA/ID student at Harvard Kennedy School. She was accepted into the Growth Lab's 2022 Summer Internship Program and contributed to the UAE project. Our team is developing rigorous research to inform the Ministry of Economy in devising a dynamic trade policy, geared towards promoting structural transformation in the UAE and achieving sustained long-term economic growth.... Read more about Student Stories: Overcoming Unique Challenges in the UAE

What we learn from WAEMU for regional integration on the African continent

By Julia Conrad

Created in 1994, the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) was established as a trade and currency union and encompasses the eight countries Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo1– all of which are equal members of the regional and economic union ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States....

Read more about What we learn from WAEMU for regional integration on the African continent

A Free Trade Agreement Across the African Continent: Where Are the Export Opportunities for Nigeria?

By Enzo Dominguez Prost

After being fully implemented, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is going to be the biggest Free Trade Agreement (FTA) ever in population and geographical size: more than fifty countries have been working since 2015 on tariff reductions in goods, rules of origin and procedures, technical barriers, or trade-in services, just to mention some topics. Considering that intra-regional...

Read more about A Free Trade Agreement Across the African Continent: Where Are the Export Opportunities for Nigeria?
O'Brien, T., et al., 2020. Accelerating Growth in Albania through Targeted Investment Promotion, Cambridge: Growth Lab at Harvard's Center for International Development.Abstract
2020-11-policy-note-albania-targeted-investment-promotion.pdf

The investment promotion process in Albania is underperforming versus its potential. Between 2014 and 2018, the Albanian economy saw accelerating growth and transformation, which has been tied to the arrival of foreign companies. However, Albania has the potential to realize much more and more diversified foreign direct investment (FDI), which will be critical to accelerating growth in the period of global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. As the Albanian economy weathers the storm of COVID-19, it is critical to look to the future by enhancing the investment promotion process to be more targeted and proactive such that Albania can attract transformative global companies aligned with the country’s comparative advantages. This is not only a critical step toward faster and more resilient economic growth in Albania; it also happens to have very high returns in comparison to the limited fiscal spending required to implement the actions required.

The targeted investment promotion approach discussed in this note would capitalize on Albania’s many existing comparative advantages for attracting efficiency-seeking FDI. It would not displace Albania’s Strategic Investment Law nor the activities of the Albanian Investment Corporation (AIC), which aim to expand the country’s comparative advantages. Efficiency-seeking FDI — global companies that expand into Albania to serve global markets because it makes them more productive — do not need extensive tax incentives, regulatory exemptions, or other subsidies. In fact, an overreliance on these approaches can crowd out firms that do not want or need to rely on government support. Adding targeted investment promotion to Albania’s growth strategy would lead to more jobs, better quality jobs, more inclusive job growth, faster convergence with the income levels of the rest of Europe, and ultimately less outmigration.

This note summarizes the Growth Lab’s observations of the investment promotion process in Albania, over the last year in particular, and lays out recommendations to capture widespread opportunities for economic transformation that have been missed to date. The recommendations provided at the end of this note provide a roadmap for building an enhanced network for targeted investment promotion that is specific to Albania’s context. These recommendations recognize the current constraints that the COVID-19 pandemic creates but also look past the pandemic to prepare for opportunities that will emerge during the global recovery.

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