Mona Farid Badran
Professor and Senior Expert of Digital Economy and AI, Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University
Professor and senior policy advisor on digital economy and AI with 20+ years of experience across AI governance, digital economy policy, telecom/ICT regulation, digital platforms, and inclusive development in Egypt, the MENA region, and emerging markets. Advises governments, multilateral institutions, and private-sector stakeholders on AI readiness, responsible AI, digital transformation, and socio-economic impact assessment. Recent engagements include the MCIT Responsible AI Center, UNESCO, Google, UNCTAD, and the World Bank Group. Published researcher with a strong record in digital policy and telecommunications economics and a frequent peer reviewer for the Telecommunications Policy Journal. She has served as a Digital Development Consultant with the World Bank Group, where she participated in country assessments and contributed to national strategies on broadband infrastructure, digital platforms, and policy innovation in Egypt, Tunisia, and Jordan. Earlier in her career, she advised Egypt’s Ministry of Investment for six years, leading its Research and Innovation Center and supporting high-level inter-ministerial coordination for national development projects. In recent years, Dr. Badran has collaborated with UNESCO on Egypt’s AI Ethics Readiness Assessment, where she was responsible for the economic pillar. Dr. Badran holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Cairo University and a Master’s Degree in Economics from Georgia State University.
Areas of Interest:
- AI Governance
- Future of work
- Digital Economy
- Digital Platforms
Education:
- PhD in Economics, Cairo University, 2009
- MA in Economics, Georgia State University (Carol Keels Award), 2003
- BSc in Economics, Cairo University (High Honors; graduated 2nd in class), 1993
Experience:
- Professor of Digital Economy & AI, Cairo University, Faculty of Economics and Political Science, 2020 - Present
- AI & Technology Expert, Responsible AI Center, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), Cairo, Egypt — Sep. 2025–Present
- Google AI Research Consultant, Cairo, Egypt, Apr. 2025 – Jul. 2025
- UNESCO AI Ethics Expert (Consultant), Cairo, Egypt, Dec. 2024 – Jul. 2025
- Policy Contributor, Think7 (T7), Germany’s G7 Presidency, Berlin / Remote, Jan. 2022 – May 2022
- Digital Development Consultant, World Bank Group — Digital Development, Washington, DC / Cairo, May 2017 – Jun. 2020
- Consultant — Future of Work in the Global South Network, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Sep. 2017 – Dec. 2017
Latest Publications:
- Badran, M. F., López, R., Valarezo, A., & Pérez-Amaral, T. (2025). E-commerce in Spain: Trends, growth, and market dynamics (2018–2021). Telecommunications Policy, 103003.
- Badran, Mona Farid. 2022. “Finding Solutions to Common Digital Economy Challenges under Germany’s G7 Presidency.” Think7 Policy Brief: International Cooperation Task Force.
- Badran, M.F., Digital platforms in Africa: A case study of Jumia Egypt’s digital platform, Telecommunications Policy, Volume 45, Issue 3, 2021, 102077, ISSN 0308- 5961, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2020.102077.
- Aboulnaga M.M., Badran, M.F., Barakat, M. (2021) Resilience of Informal Areas in Megacities: Magnitude, Challenges, and Policies: Strategic Environmental Assessment and Upgrading Guidelines to Attain Sustainable Development Goals, doi 10.1007I978-3-030-87794-1, eBook ISBN 978-3-030-87794-1, Springer Nature, Switzerland.
- World Bank Group, Egypt digital economy country assessment, World Bank Group Publication, Washington DC, USA, (2022) https:1/thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/ b7a35868206ace761 909f9bd2daa1f91-0200022021/original/Digital-Economy-Country Assessment-May-26-Final.pdf
