Zafiris Tzannatos
Senior Fellow, Jordan Strategy Forum, Amman and Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, Beirut
Zafiris Tzannatos is a Senior Fellow at the Jordan Strategy Forum, Amman, and the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, Beirut, where he previously served as Professor and Chair of the Economics Department at AUB. He held several senior positions at the World Bank, including Advisor to the Managing Director, Manager for the MENA region, and Leader of the Global Child Labor Program, which he founded. He also established the Bank’s labor program in 1993. He has been a Senior Advisor with UNDP for Afghanistan and the Arab States, the ILO’s Arab Regional Office, and multiple governments in the Middle East and the GCC. He has held academic, research, and honorary positions at universities in the UK and has worked with regional and international organizations as well as governments across industrialized, transition, emerging, and developing economies, including fragile and conflict-affected countries, on all continents. He has published extensively on development strategy, labor, gender, education, child labor, and social policy. He graduated from Athens University, and received his doctorate from UCL and executive education at Harvard/Stanford/ INSEAD.
Areas of Interest:
- Development Strategy
- Social Protection
- Labor
- Gender
Education:
- Ph.D. in Economics, University College, University of London, 1983 (Thesis: Gynaeconomics: Aspects of Female Employment and Pay)
- M.A. in Economics, University of Kent at Canterbury, 1978 (Dissertation: Female Labor Force Participation in Britain: 1850-1970)
- B.Sc. in Economics, Summa cum Laude), University of Athens, 1976
Experience:
- Senior Consultant for Development Strategy and Social Policy (Independent), 2008 - Present
- Senior Fellow, Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, Beirut, Lebanon, 2014 - Present
- Senior Fellow, Jordan Strategy Forum, Amman, Jordan, 2022 - Present
Latest Publications:
- “The Effect of Education on Household Incomes Using the Mincerian Approach: A Comparison between MENA and the Rest of the World” (with I. Diwan and J. Abdel Ahad). Education Economics, 2024.
- “De-colonizing the GCC: The Case of the Labour Market in Saudi Arabia” in J. Sfakianakis (ed.) The Economy of Saudi Arabia in the 21st Century: Realities and Illusions, (with J. Sfakianakis). Oxford University Press 2024
- “The Mismeasured, Misunderstood and Mistreated Arab youth” in Hassan Hakimian (ed.) Routledge Handbook on the Middle East Economy. Routledge. 2021
Accelerating the Progress of Jordan Towards the Sustainable Development Goals
Areas of Interest: Development Strategy Social Protection Labor Gender Education: Ph.D. in Economics, University College, University of London,... Read More
December, 2024
Policy Research ReportsThe Binding Constraint for Achieving the SDGS: Institutions, Governance or Financing?
Areas of Interest: Development Strategy Social Protection Labor Gender Education: Ph.D. in Economics, University College, University of London,... Read More
December, 2024
Policy BriefsWhere Does Jordan Stand on Five SDGs Related to the Social Sectors?
Areas of Interest: Development Strategy Social Protection Labor Gender Education: Ph.D. in Economics, University College, University of London,... Read More
December, 2024
Policy BriefsFiscal Policy, Private Sector Development, and Social Outcomes in an Indebted Arab Country: Balancing Austerity with Pro-Growth Policies in Jordan
Areas of Interest: Development Strategy Social Protection Labor Gender Education: Ph.D. in Economics, University College, University of London,... Read More
August, 2023
Policy BriefsAssessing the Sustainability of Jordan’s Public Debt: The Importance of Reviving the Private Sector and Improving Social Outcomes
Areas of Interest: Development Strategy Social Protection Labor Gender Education: Ph.D. in Economics, University College, University of London,... Read More
August, 2023
Working PapersStabilization and Adjustment: Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Policies in MENA
Areas of Interest: Development Strategy Social Protection Labor Gender Education: Ph.D. in Economics, University College, University of London,... Read More
2021-12-01
GCC Economies in an Era of Energy Transition – Third ERF GCC Conference
Areas of Interest: Development Strategy Social Protection Labor Gender Education: Ph.D. in Economics, University College, University of London,... Read More
Oct 30, 2023
ERF 29th Annual Conference: The Future of MENA Development Path: Risks and Opportunities in an Emerging World Order
Areas of Interest: Development Strategy Social Protection Labor Gender Education: Ph.D. in Economics, University College, University of London,... Read More
May 04, 2023
Dialogues on the Future of Work in the Global South: Building narratives from the Middle East and North Africa
Areas of Interest: Development Strategy Social Protection Labor Gender Education: Ph.D. in Economics, University College, University of London,... Read More
Jul 26, 2021