ERF 29th Annual Conference – Parallel Sessions
FromMay 04, 2023 To May 06, 2023
Cairo, Egypt
ERF annually holds a highly visible conference that concentrates on issues of high relevance to economic policy in the region. This flagship event draws on the contributions of senior policy makers, distinguished academic researchers as well as referred open call papers to promote region-wide and international knowledge and evidence-based development and public policy debates and mentorship of promising researchers.
This year the annual conference is held under the theme of “The Future of MENA Development Path: Risks and Opportunities in an Emerging World Order”. This is a timely topic in the light of the changes implied by the pandemic at the economic, social and digital levels. This choice also reflects an overwhelming consensus among the ERF community of researchers and policy makers. Eighteen parallel sessions will be held during the course of three days (May 4-6, 2023).
ERF gratefully acknowledges the hosting of the ERF 29th Annual Conference by Nile University.
Details for these sessions are listed below.
Celebrating Excellence – ERF 29th Annual Conference Best Papers Award!
In keeping with ERF tradition to unveil talent, raise profile of young researchers, encourage innovative approaches to address key regional challenges, six teams were awarded Best Paper Award during the ERF 29th Annual Conference early May in Cairo.
ERF extends special congratulations and best wishes to all in their pursuit of their career.
Congratulations to all!
Agenda
Parallel Session 1: Global Crisis and Food Security
Date
04/05/2023
Location
Hybrid
Time
From 2:30 pm To 4:00 pm
Speakers
Policy Affiliates
Mary Kawar
Former Minister for Planning, Jordan
Research Associates
Abdelhadi Benghalem
Assistant Professor, Oran Graduate School of Economic,...
Research Fellows
Samir Maliki
Professor of Economics and Management, Faculty of...
Research Associates
Ouieme Sour
Assistant Professor, University of Tlemcen, Algeria
Research Fellows
Shireen AlAzzawi
Teaching Professor, Economics Department, Leavey School of...
Authors
Vladimir Hlasny
Economic Affairs Officer, UN Economic and Social...
Authors
Nada Rostom
Research Associate, J-PAL Middle East and North...
Papers
Internet and Food Production: Panel Data Evidence from North African Countries
Although a considerable body of research has examined the relationship between information and communication technology... Read More
Distributional Impacts of the Russia–Ukraine Crisis: The Case of Egypt
In February 2022, global supply chains were disrupted amid the eruption of the Ukraine–Russia war.... Read More
Videos
Parallel Session 2: Women’s Labor Supply and Labor Market Experiences
Date
04/05/2023
Location
Nile University
Time
From 2:30 pm To 4:00 pm
Speakers
Research Fellows
Moundir Lassassi
Research Director, Research Centre in Applied Economics...
Research Fellows
Mahdi Majbouri
Associate Professor, Babson College, Wellesley, MA
Research Associates
Amira El-Shal
Acting Associate Director of Research, J-PAL MENA
Authors
Eleftherios Giovanis
Associate Professor of Economics, Department of International...
Research Fellows
Oznur Ozdamar
Associate Professor of Economics, Department of Econometrics,...
Authors
Yasmine Abdelfattah
Assistant Professor of Statistics, School of Business...
Authors
Hélène Syed Zwick
Executive Director, ESLSCA University
Papers
Preferences and the Puzzle of Female Labor Force Participation in the Middle East
Women in the Middle East have had significant achievements in the last four decades. Their... Read More
Who Pay Bribes and How Much? Gender and Firm-Level Corruption in MENA and Egypt
Despite its highest rates of entrepreneurial intentions for women worldwide, the MENA region suffers from... Read More
Intra-household Bargaining, Resource Allocation and Cost of Gender-Based Violence in Egypt: The Role of Asset Ownership and Gender Role Attitudes
Wives’ violent abuse is a common and widely acknowledged issue. However, the subject has received... Read More
The Migration’s Impact on The Empowerment of Women Left Behind: Evidence from Egypt
This study examines the impact of male international migration on the labor market outcomes and... Read More
Videos
Parallel Session 3: Arab Spring & Beyond
Date
04/05/2023
Location
Nile University
Time
From 2:30 pm To 4:00 pm
Speakers
Senior Associates
Bernard Hoekman
Professor and Director, Global Economics, Robert Schuman...
Research Fellows
Bassam Yousif
Professor of Economics, Indiana State University
Authors
Mohamed Ismail Sabry
Visiting Postdoctoral Researcher, International Institute of Social...
Papers
Class Grievances – the Arab Uprisings and Beyond
To date analysis of the role of entrepreneurs in the Arab uprisings has been limited.... Read More
State-Society Relations and Industrial Sustainable Growth: The Case of Post-Revolution Tunisia
This paper investigates the effect of state-society relations (SSR) in the industrial sector on sustainable... Read More
Videos
Parallel Session 4: Robots, Minimum Wages and Over education in the Turkish Labor Market
Date
04/05/2023
Location
Nile University
Time
From 2:30 pm To 4:00 pm
Speakers
Research Fellows
Jackline Wahba
Professor of Economics, University of Southampton, UK...
Authors
Uğur Aytun
Assistant Professor, Kutahya Dumlupinar University
Research Fellows
Seyit Mümin Cilasun
Professor of Economics, TED University
Authors
Mustafa Utku Özmen
Part-time Lecturer, TOBB University of Economics
Research Fellows
Belgi Turan
Associate Professor, TOBB University of Economics and...
Research Fellows
Yilmaz Kilicaslan
Professor of Economics, Faculty of Economics of...
Authors
Oytun Meçik
Eskişehir Osmangazi University
Authors
Umit Yapici
Ph.D. Candidate, Ankara Sosyal Bilimler University
Papers
The Impact of Syrian Refugees on the Overeducation of Natives: Evidence from Turkish Labor Markets
The effects of migration on labor market outcomes, such as earnings and employment, have been... Read More
Two Birds, One Stone: Minimum Wage and Child Labor
This paper investigates the effect of an exogenous and sizable increase in minimum wage on... Read More
Robots, Employment and Wages: Evidence from Turkish Labor Markets
In recent years, effects of automation on labor market were outpaced due to the widespread... Read More
Videos
Agenda
Parallel Session 5: Trans-Regional Research on Private Sector Development, Digitization and Disruptive Technologies in MENA and SSA (Part 1)
Date
05/05/2023
Location
Hybrid
Time
From 9:00 am To 10:30 am
Speakers
Research Fellows
Ibrahim Elbadawi
Managing Director, Economic Research Forum
Research Fellows
Ahmed Ghoneim
Professor, Faculty of Economics and Political Sciences,...
Speakers
Authors
Sherif Kamel
Professor of Management and Dean of the...
Research Fellows
Chahir Zaki
Chaired Professor of Economics, University of Orléans
Speakers
Magued Osman
CEO and Director of the Egyptian Center...
Research Fellows
Adel Ben Youssef
Professor of Economics, University Côte d'Azur
Papers
Digitalization and Disruptive Technologies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) Regions
This paper aims at investigating the role of digitalization and the so-called disruptive technologies (DTs)... Read More
Which Firms Are More Digitized? A Comparative Study between Egypt and Jordan
Digitalization refers to the transition from an industrial age characterized by traditional technologies to a... Read More
Does Digitalization Matter? Evidence from Egyptian and Jordanian Firms
Generally, digitalized firms are more productive, more likely to export, and more likely to rely... Read More
Determinants of Adoption of Online Commercial Activities by Moroccan Firms
E-commerce is a global trend that is having an impact on consumers and businesses. While... Read More
Presentations
Videos
Parallel Session 6: Covid, Corruption and Financial Stability
Date
05/05/2023
Location
Nile University
Time
From 9:00 am To 10:30 am
Speakers
Authors
Houda Haffoudhi
Associate Professor, Gabes University
Research Fellows
Brahim Guizani
Assistant Professor, Tunis Business School
Authors
Ahmad E. Shahin
Adjunct Faculty Member, American University in Cairo...
Research Fellows
Ahmed Rashad
Assistant Professor of Economics, Anwar Gargash Diplomatic...
Authors
Mahmoud Farghally
Assistant Expert, Policies and Studies for the...
Papers
Financial Development, Corruption and Shadow Economy: Evidence from MENA Countries
In this paper we examine the relationship between the financial development, corruption, and the size... Read More
Growing During a Global Crisis: A Cross-Country Event-Study of the Effect of the Financial and Managerial Decisions on Firms Growth During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Employing the data from the World Bank Enterprise surveys, we examine how the first shock... Read More
The US Monetary Conditions and Dubai’s Real Estate Market: Twist or Tango?
The monetary policy is an important driver of the real estate sector’s performance. The recent... Read More
Videos
Parallel Session 7: Structural Changes, SMEs, and Economic Diversification in MENA Region
Date
05/05/2023
Location
Nile University
Time
From 9:00 am To 10:30 am
Speakers
Research Fellows
Mongi Boughzala
Emeritus Professor of Economics, University of Tunis...
Authors
Jala Youssef
PhD Candidate in Economics and a Teaching...
Authors
Mohamed Tahar Benkhodja
Assistant Professor of Economics, ESSCA School of...
Authors
Tovonony Razafindrabe
CREM, Université Rennes
Authors
Phuong Minh Le
Research Intern, Centre for Analysis and Forecast...
Speakers
Lisa Chauvet
Professor of Economics, University of Paris 1...
Research Fellows
Mohamed Ali Marouani
Associate Professor of Economics, Sorbonne University
Papers
Which Policies Induce Structural Change inMENA Countries? Evidence from Macro and Micro Data
This paper aims at studying the policies that can leverage the structural change process at... Read More
Oil Exporting Countries and Economic Diversification: The Role Of Monetary and Fiscal Policies
In this study, we examined the role of monetary and fiscal policies in the diversification... Read More
The Great Lockdown and the Small Business: Impact, Channels and Adaptation to the Covid Pandemic
In this paper we estimate the effects of the pandemic on Tunisian SMEs in 2020... Read More
Videos
Parallel Session 8: The Political Economy of Public Procurement
Date
05/05/2023
Location
Nile University
Time
From 9:00 am To 10:30 am
Speakers
Research Fellows
Mounir Mahmalat
Economist and FCV Country Coordinator for Central...
Authors
Wassim Maktabi
Researcher, The Policy Initiative
Senior Associates
Bernard Hoekman
Professor and Director, Global Economics, Robert Schuman...
Research Fellows
Bedri Kamil Onur Tas
Associate Professor of Economics, College of Economics...
Papers
Cartels in Infrastructure Procurement – Evidence from Lebanon
We study cartels in public infrastructure procurement and analyze the conditions under which they succeed... Read More
Discretion and Public Procurement Outcomes: Law, Practice and Government Effectiveness
Detailed data on public procurement contract awards in 33 countries reported in the EU Tenders... Read More
Parallel Session 9: Trans-Regional Research on Private Sector Development, Digitization and Disruptive Technologies in MENA and SSA (Part 2)
Date
05/05/2023
Location
Hybrid
Time
From 11:00 am To 12:30 pm
Speakers
Senior Associates
Shahrokh Fardoust
Research Professor, Global Research Institute, College of...
Senior Associates
Mustapha Nabli
North Africa Bureau of Economic Studies (NABES)
Authors
Nong Zhu
Professor, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique
Authors
Aomar Ibourk
Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech
Authors
Zakaria Elouaourti
Postdoctoral Researcher, Economics Department of Cadi Ayyad...
Authors
Mohamed Bouhari
Professor of Economics, Faculty of Economics and...
Papers
Digitalization and Firm Performance in The Middle East and North Africa: Case Studies of Jordan, Morocco, and Egypt
In a digitalizing global economy, countries that successfully harness the potential of e-commerce are better... Read More
Financial Technology As A Driver of Financial Inclusion and Inclusive Development in the MENA Region: Risks and Opportunities
The digital divide in the financial sector has occurred through the development of financial technologies.... Read More
Technologie de l’information et de communication et croissance économique dans des pays de MENA et Africains: A l’épreuve des modèles non linéaires à seuil
This article examines, from a panel of 30 MENA and African countries over the period... Read More
Presentations
Videos
Parallel Session 10: Empirical evidence for Poverty and Inequality Alleviation Policies
Date
05/05/2023
Location
Nile University
Time
From 11:00 am To 12:30 pm
Speakers
Policy Affiliates
Khalid Abu-Ismail
Senior Economist, United Nations Economic and Social...
Authors
Angela C. Lyons
Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural and Consumer...
Authors
Valérie Berenger
Full Professor, University of Toulon
Research Fellows
Mohamed Ali Marouani
Associate Professor of Economics, Sorbonne University
Papers
A Machine Learning Approach to Targeting Humanitarian Assistance among Forcibly Displaced Populations
Increasing trends in forced displacement and poverty are expected to intensify in coming years. Data... Read More
Vulnerability to Multidimensional Poverty in Algeria And Tunisia Using The Counting Based Approach and Bayesian Networks Classifiers
This paper assesses levels and trends in vulnerability to multidimensional poverty for two different years... Read More
The Role of Public Employment and Wage Policy in the Dynamic of Earnings Inequality: The Tunisian Perspective
In this paper, we investigate the impact of public wage and employment policy on earnings... Read More
Videos
Parallel Session 11: Educational Mismatches, Jobs and Marriage Market
Date
05/05/2023
Location
Nile University
Time
From 11:00 am To 12:30 pm
Speakers
Authors
Jingyuan Deng
Consultant, World Bank's Office of the Chief...
Research Associates
Nelly Elmallakh
Economist, World Bank's Office of the Chief...
Authors
Luca Flabbi
Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department...
Speakers
Roberta V. Gatti
Chief Economist, Middle East and North Africa,...
Research Fellows
Aysit Tansel
Emeritus Professor, Middle East Technical University, Turkey
Research Fellows
Moundir Lassassi
Research Director, Research Centre in Applied Economics...
Authors
Hanife A. Deniz Karaoglan
Associate Professor of Economics, Department of Economics,...
Authors
Serap Sagir
PhD Candidate, Middle East Technical University
Research Fellows
Meltem Dayioglu Tayfur
Professor, Department of Economics, Middle East Technical...
Speakers
Sirin Saracoglu
Professor, Middle East Technical University
Papers
Returns to Education in the Marriage Market: Bride Price and School Reform in Egypt
This paper posits marriage market returns as a contributing factor to stagnant female labor force... Read More
Do Educational Mismatches Influence Job Satisfaction and On-The-Job Search in Algeria?
This paper considers the effects of educational mismatches on two outcomes such as the job... Read More
The Impact of Maternal Education on Early Childhood Development: The Case of Turkey
In this paper we investigate the relationship between mother’s education level and the development of... Read More
Videos
Parallel Session 12: Fiscal-Monetary Policy Effectiveness and Capital Flows
Date
05/05/2023
Location
Nile University
Time
From 11:00 am To 12:30 pm
Speakers
Senior Associates
Raimundo Soto
Associate Professor of Economics, Pontificia Universidad Católica...
Authors
Vladimir Hlasny
Economic Affairs Officer, UN Economic and Social...
Authors
Fatma Taşdemir
Faculty Member, Department of International Trade and...
Authors
Younes El Khattab
Professor of Economics, Hassan II University, Casablanca
Authors
Rachida El Yamani
Professor of Economics and Econometrics, Hassan II...
Authors
Ahmed Hefnaoui
Professor of Macroeconomics and Econometrics, Hassan II...
Papers
False Negatives: Earnings Underreporting, Tax Overreporting in Surveys Worldwide
Household survey incomes are subject to misreporting and measurement issues biasing the static and dynamic... Read More
Do Capital Flows Cause (De)Industrialization?
The conventional theory maintains that movement of capital from rich economies with lower rate of... Read More
Assessing The Fiscal-Monetary Policy Mix Effectiveness: Evidence from Morocco, Egypt and Saudi Arabia
Our research paper contributes to enrich empirical literature and goes beyond a single open economy... Read More
Videos
Agenda
Parallel Session 13: Climate Change, Technology, Transportation and Stranded Assets
Date
06/05/2023
Location
Nile University
Time
From 11:00 am To 12:30 pm
Speakers
Authors
Matthew Agarwala
Economist, Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University...
Research Associates
Siham Matallah
Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of...
Research Fellows
Fethi Amri
Associate Professor of Applied Econometrics and Statistics,...
Authors
Seda Ekmen Özçelik
Associate Professor, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University
Authors
Ünal Töngür
Associate Professor of Economics, Department of Economics,...
Papers
MENA Oil Exporters Need A Renewable Energy Transition Before the Oil Wells Run Dry: A Special Focus on Innovation, Financial Development and Governance
This paper aims, on the one hand, to examine the dynamic linkage between oil revenues... Read More
Technology Innovation and Climate Change Mitigation: Effects and Transmission Channels
The main objective of our study is to examine the relationship between innovation technology and... Read More
Logistics Performance and Environmental Degradation: The Case of MENA Countries
This paper analyzes the impacts of logistics performance on environmental degradation for a panel of... Read More
Videos
Parallel Session 14: Local State Capacity and Economic Development of Regions
Date
06/05/2023
Location
Nile University
Time
From 11:00 am To 12:30 pm
Speakers
Speakers
Sherine Al-Shawarby
Professor of Economics, Cairo University
Authors
Yusuf Emre Akgündüz
Faculty Member, Faculty of Arts and Social...
Authors
Sara Zouiri
PhD Candidate in Economics, Mohammed V University...
Authors
Marouane Alaya
Sfax University
Papers
Local State Capacity and Economic Development of Regions
This paper studies the impact of local state capacity on the economic development of regions.... Read More
A Spatial Analysis of MENA Economic Convergence
Despite the presence of a vast body economic growth literature, most growth empirical studies treat... Read More
Videos
Parallel Session 15: Financial Development, Growth and Financial Cycle
Date
06/05/2023
Location
Hybrid
Time
From 11:00 am To 12:30 pm
Speakers
Research Fellows
Seyit Mümin Cilasun
Professor of Economics, TED University
Research Fellows
Ahmed Elsayed
Associate Professor of Financial Economics, United Arab...
Authors
Kazi Sohag
Associate Professor and Head of the PhD...
Research Fellows
Abdullah Talha Yalta
Professor of Economics, TOBB University of Economics...
Research Fellows
Ayse Yasemin Yalta
Professor, Department of Economics, Hacettepe University, Turkey
Authors
Rym Arem
Ph.D. Candidate, University of Carthage
Research Fellows
Mahmoud Sami Nabi
Professor of Economics, University of Carthage
Authors
Houda Boubaker
Assistant Professor, Mediterranean School of Business, South...
Papers
Oil Shocks and Financial Stability in MENA Countries
We examine the link between financial stress and three sources of commodity fluctuations in MENA... Read More
The Effects of Financial Inclusion on the Economic Development of MENA Countries
In the recent years, financial inclusion has taken a center stage in policy discussions regarding... Read More
Bank Leverage Cycles and the External Finance Premium in Tunisia, a DSGE Model Approach
The 2007-2008 financial crisis abruptly ended a long period of economic stability, prompting economists to... Read More
Videos
Parallel Session 16: The Greater Beast: Climate Change and Its Impacts
Date
06/05/2023
Location
Hybrid
Time
From 1:00 pm To 2:30 pm
Speakers
Research Fellows
Atif Kubursi
Professor, McMaster University
Research Associates
Eman Moustafa
Research Manager, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)
Research Associates
Amira El-Shal
Acting Associate Director of Research, J-PAL MENA
Authors
Rahma Ali
Statistical Researcher
Authors
Yasmine Abdelfattah
Assistant Professor of Statistics, School of Business...
Authors
Dina Abdel Fattah
Assistant Professor and Interim Chair, Department of...
Research Fellows
Hala Abou-Ali
Professor of Economics and Chair of the...
Research Fellows
Shireen AlAzzawi
Teaching Professor, Economics Department, Leavey School of...
Authors
Nada Rostom
Research Associate, J-PAL Middle East and North...
Authors
Heba Erfan
Assistant Lecturer, Faculty of Economics and Political...
Papers
The Greater Beast: Weather-related and Health Disasters in MENA
Economic growth is a major source of concern in light of the successive weather-related and... Read More
Is MENA’s Rural Youth Employment Vulnerable to Climate Change?
The jobless economic growth that a number of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries... Read More
The Inequality, Economic Growth, Climate Change and Natural Disasters Nexus: Empirical Evidence
This paper investigates the integrated paradigm between economic growth, income inequality, climate change and natural... Read More
Videos
Parallel Session 17: Trade, Innovation and Foreign Investments
Date
06/05/2023
Location
Nile University
Time
From 1:00 pm To 2:30 pm
Speakers
Research Fellows
Ahmed Ghoneim
Professor, Faculty of Economics and Political Sciences,...
Research Associates
Pinar Tat
Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Gebze Technical...
Authors
Abdullah Altun
Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Gebze Technical...
Authors
Halit Yanikkaya
Professor, Department of Economics, Gebze Technical University,...
Speakers
Nada Eissa
Associate Professor, Public Policy and Economics, and...
Research Fellows
Chahir Zaki
Chaired Professor of Economics, University of Orléans
Research Fellows
Ahmed Rashad
Assistant Professor of Economics, Anwar Gargash Diplomatic...
Papers
The Past and the Future Trade Patterns of the MENA Region: The Pursuit of Growth
This study investigates the past trade patterns of the MENA region and analyzes the sectoral... Read More
The Effect of Flexible Ownership Regulations on Foreign Investments in the UAE: An Impact Evaluation Study Using a Quasi-experimental Method
Entrepreneurship can support economic growth and create jobs. Regulatory and policy restrictions on entrepreneurs starting... Read More
Videos
Parallel Session 18: The Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security
Date
06/05/2023
Location
Nile University
Time
From 1:00 pm To 2:30 pm
Speakers
Authors
Eleftherios Giovanis
Associate Professor of Economics, Department of International...
Research Associates
Hajer Habib
Research Assistant, Faculty of Economic Sciences and...
Authors
Amal Jmaii
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Economic Sciences and...
Speakers
Antoine Castet
PhD Student, Sorbonne Institute of Development Studies
Research Fellows
Racha Ramadan
Professor, Faculty of Economics and Political Sciences,...
Papers
Food Insecurity: The Role of Income Instability and Social Transfers in Tunisia during COVID-19
In this study, we assess the implications of COVID-19 shocks on household income, food security... Read More