Policy

Since 2017-18, I have worked on multiple development and research policy projects that are summarized below:

1. International Trade and Development Finance: I am the Lead Researcher and Project Coordinator for a Swiss National Science Foundation funded research consortium of universities in Ghana (ISSER, Univ of Ghana), Laos (Lao Academy of Social and Economic Sciences) and Switzerland (Univ. of Bern, Geneva Graduate Institute and ETH Zurich). Our research on enhancing international regulation and transparency to reduce tax base erosion from developing countries has informed legislative debates and policy reforms at national (see: Swiss Parliament Foreign Policy Committee resolution) and international level (see: United Nations’ project on Illicit Financial Flows and Annual Report on Economic Development for Africa).

You can read more here (www.curbing-iffs.org), watch a documentary film I produced with a Ghanaian journalist (Missing Dollars) or check out the young scientists I have mentored and co-authored with in Ghana and Laos below:

Ama Asantewah Ahene-Codjoe (co-author)

Lecturer at Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, School of Agriculture, CBAS, Uni. of Ghana, Legon. Research interests include: economics of education; health and agriculture; rural labour allocation and development; climate change and sustainable resource development; and international trade.

Angela Alu (co-author)

Post-doctoral researcher, Department of Finance, University of Ghana, Legon. Research interests include: international trade and finance, natural resources, sustainable development.

Vanxay Sayavong (co-author)

PhD candidate, Waseyda University, Japan. Researcher, Macroeconomic Research Institute, Lao Academy of Social and Economic Science. Research interests: Development Microeconomics, Development Macroeconomics, International Trade, Natural Resources, Sustainable development

Kinnalone Phimmavong (co-author)

Macroeconomic Research Institute, Lao Academy of Social and Economic Science. Research interests: Development Studies, Poverty Analysis, Public Policy Analysis, Natural Resources, Sustainable Development.

Vanthana Nolintha (co-author)

Ministry of Planning and Investment. Researcher, Macroeconomic Research Institute, Lao Academy of Social and Economic Science. Research interests: Policy Analysis and Evaluation, International Trade, Natural Resources, Sustainable Development, Covid-19

Viriyasack Sisouphanthong (co-author)

Economist, National University of Laos. Research interests: Human Resources Development, Public Finance Management, International Trade, Natural Resources, Sustainable Development

2. Humanitarian De-mining for Sustainable Development: My next applied policy project aims to use machine learning and big (military and geospatial) data to test advances in risk mapping of explosive remnants of war for demining organisations, humanitarian aid agencies and donor governments working in conflict-affected regions (more details by end-2023).

3. Epistemic Justice in Experimental Development Research: I am engaged in research policy dialogues with scientific councils and academic networks on evaluating epistemic justice in experimental development research. Focusing on field experiments with subjects from poor and vulnerable locations, I evaluate agenda-setting and knowledge management, incentive structures and power asymmetries, personal and community consent, and finally, data protection and ownership. With co-authors in Africa and Asia, I am also writing a report based on an international experts’ survey on challenges in implementing fair North-South research collaborations – see policy research.

N.B.: I worked on lab-in-the-field experiments in rural India during my PhD.