ADAPTATION AND INNOVATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST
The Dubai Initiative
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Harvard Kennedy School of Government
- Registration from 8:00-9:00 am on both days
Conference Panels: [Open to the Public]
May 3rd:
Panels 1-3 in Nye C, Taubman 5th floor
- Finance and Development: MENA and the Global Markets
10:00 - 11:30 am
Panel Organizer: Dr. Ayman Ismail
Over the past decade, the size and scope of financial markets in MENA has grown significantly. As the private economies of MENA countries grow, these financial markets will also grow in sophistication; get more integrated with global markets; and have a stronger impact on their local economies. In this panel, we focus on a number of questions that relate to the growth of MENA financial markets, integration with global markets, risk exposure, and the governing regulatory regimes.
Speakers:
Ms. Ayah El-Said (Roubini Global Economics, London)
Ms. Nashwa Saleh (Cass Business School, London)
Mr. Hythem El-Nazer (TA Associates, Boston)
- The Gulf Cooperation Council and the New Economic Order
12:30 - 2:00 pm
Panel Organizer: Justin Dargin
With the Western economies in dire financial straits, and in spite of the initial panic and economic difficulties, the Gulf countries remain poised to take a leadership position in the global economy. This panel will bring together the leading international experts from the energy, geopolitical and economic disciplines to delineate the profile of the projected new economic order, and the effect of the GCC's increased economic power.
Speakers:
Dr. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen (London School of Economics)
Mr. Dennis Kumetat (London School of Economics Kuwait Scholar)
Dr. Borzu Sabahi (Georgetown University Law Center)
Dr. Fehmy Saddy (FS International Partners, Geneva)
- Youth Development in Middle East & North Africa
2:30 - 4:00 pm
Panel Organizer: Dr. Djavad Salehi-Isfahani
Societies of the Middle East and North Africa are very young but not youth-oriented. Youth are the fastest growing segment of the population, putting pressure on the education system, the labor market and on marriage and family formation. Inflexible social and economic institutions in these countries make finding a job after graduation and forming a family for these youth even more difficult. This panel presents four accounts of youth transitions in the Middle East--Egypt, Iran, Palestine, and Yemen--focusing on the interaction of rapidly changing demography and static social institutions that mediate youth transitions to work and family formation.
Speakers:
Dr. Edward Sayre (University of Southern Mississippi)
Ms. Christine Binzel (German Institute for Economic Research)
Dr. Tarik Yousef (Dubai School of Government)
Dr. Djavad Salehi-Isfahani (The Dubai Initiative)
Dr. Daniel Egel (University of California, Berkeley)
May 4th:
Panels 4-5 in Bell Hall, Belfer Building 4th Floor
- State Formation in Conflict Zones
9:30 - 11:00 am
Panel Organizer: Dr. Husam Zomlot
The panel discusses state-building programs in conflict zones. It aims to assess the internationally backed and extensive institution building initiatives in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine. The panelists will examine the notion of state-building as a preparation for statehood and uncover the underpinning local, regional, and international frameworks.
Speakers:
Dr. Roger Owen (Harvard University)
Dr. Michael Hudson (Georgetown University)
Dr. Sara Roy (Harvard University)
Dr. Tarek Masoud (Harvard Kennedy School)
- The Challenge of Political Islam to States and Regimes
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Panel Organizers: Dr. Lawrence Rubin and Michael Robbins
This panel offers a new approach to understanding political Islam in the Middle East. First, this panel focuses on the role of political Islam in shaping state policies. Second, it will seek to bring together scholars to examine this issue at the individual level, the country level, and the international level, to better understand if and how political Islam has redefined and will redefine political outcomes throughout the Middle East.
Speakers:
Dr. Tarek Masoud (Harvard Kennedy School)
Dr. Nathan Brown (George Washington University)
Jillian Schwedler (University of Massachusetts Amherst)
Climate Workshop: [By invitation only]
- Climate Adaptation in the Middle East and North Africa: Challenges and Opportunities
[Co-sponsored by the Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements and the Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University.]
This workshop will bring together leading experts and practitioners to analyze and prioritize policy measures related to the pressing challenges posed by climate change in the region. It will focus on two key issues in climate adaptation. Firstly, the lack of regional, national, and local data collection and information sharing on emerging climate impacts and adaptive responses, and secondly, on identifying promising policy initiatives at different scales that incorporate climate adaptation with reductions in social vulnerability, particularly in terms of water access and quality.
