WIDERAngle

Expert commentary from our network

Research in focus – country profiles: Indonesia and Ecuador

by Tristan Reid
flashcom-indonesia-unsplash
Our Institute’s expansive international research contributions, consisting of over 800 WIDER Working Papers in the 2019–23 work programme, delve deep into the development challenges the world faces. In the following country profiles, we pivot our focus towards Ecuador and Indonesia, serving as examples of our unique collaborative approach to development.Utilizing our vast network of researchers, policymakers, and institutions, we not only assess pressing development issues, but actively work...

Nigeria: botched economic reforms plunge the country into crisis

by Kunal Sen, Chisom Ubabukoh
Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, is facing an economic crisis. From a botched currency redesign to the removal of fuel subsidies and a currency float, the nation has been plunged into spiralling inflation and a currency crisis with far-reaching consequences. The question now is: how long before the inferno consumes everything?On October 26, 2022, the Central Bank of Nigeria announced a bold move – that it had redesigned the country’s highest denomination notes (₦200, ₦500 and ₦1000) and would...

Are Sovereign Wealth Funds fit for purpose in Africa?

by Tony Addison, Amir Lebdioui
Tanzanian coins. Image: Imani Nsamila / UNU-WIDER
Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) have become a symbol of national success and a means for global, commercial and geopolitical influence. But how well do they contribute to national development goals? Furthermore, global decarbonization threatens the future of many fossil fuel-financed SWFs. Here, we report research evidence to assess the state of SWFs in Africa and how to maximise their impact.Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs)are at the core of considerable policy and academic debate. Once heralded as...

47 Blogpost

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Chile under neoliberalism

In our book, we examine Chile's economic, social, and development policies over the past six decades. The focal point is the enduring influence of the...

Blog
Pinelopi Goldberg warns of the impact of deglobalization: Sobering insights from the 27th WIDER Annual Lecture
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With several violent conflicts around the world weighing heavily on our minds, we attended the 27th WIDER Annual Lecture. Dr. Pinelopi Goldberg’s...

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New global estimates on profits in tax havens suggest the tax loss continues to rise

The world has been trying to curb profit shifting to tax havens for a decade, but consistent time series evaluating the impact of these reforms have...

Research Brief
Unlocking a regional plastics value chain between Mozambique and South Africa

Plastics are universal and integrated into different sectors of the economy. Industrial policy requires countries to look at moving up the value chain and producing progressively more sophisticated products to contribute to improved economic...

Research Brief
Special economic zones in Zambia and South Africa

East Asia’s successful experience in accelerating the process of industrial development with SEZs paved way for the use of SEZs as policy instruments in Africa. In southern Africa, Zambia and South Africa instituted SEZs in legal and institutional...

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UNU-WIDER at 35: Letter from the Director
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2020 promised to be a big year for UNU-WIDER, with the celebration of our 35th anniversary, the 45th birthday of UNU, and 75 years of the UN. But as...

Research Brief
Turnin’ it up a notch

Since the end of apartheid, South Africa’s economic challenges have disrupted efforts to establish a society of inclusive growth and prosperity. Understanding how South Africa can break the pattern of sluggish growth, high unemployment, inequality...

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In Conversation with Deepak Nayyar on ‘Resurgent Asia’: FP2P Podcast and transcript
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Duncan Green: I recently skyped Deepak Nayyar, Professor of Economics at India’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to discuss his new book, Resurgent...

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How Asia transformed from the poorest continent in the world into a global economic powerhouse
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In 1820, Asia accounted for two-thirds of the world’s population and more than one-half of global income. The subsequent decline of Asia was...

Policy Brief
Learning from a half-century of economic development in Asia

When Gunnar Myrdal published his magnum opus, Asian Drama: An Inquiry into the Poverty of Nations, in 1968, he was deeply pessimistic about the development prospects in Asia. The fifty years since witnessed a remarkable economic transformation in...

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Economic Elites, Crises, and Austerity in 21st Century Capitalism
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24 September 2014 Andrés Solimano The era of neoliberal capitalism starting by the late 1970s and early 1980s promotes free trade, capital mobility...

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Good Governance: Is it about Appearance or Action?
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27 May 2013 Matt Andrews, Harvard Kennedy School A growing governance agenda and post-2015 ambitions The governance agenda has grown rapidly in the...

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UNU-WIDER Interview with Dr Kaushik Basu

29 November 2012 Carl-Gustav Lindén In November 2012 UNU-WIDER had the pleasure of hosting a public event with Dr Kaushik Basu, the newly appointed...

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The Imperative for Strengthening International Tax Co-operation

GUESTAngle John Langmore and Perrin Wilkins When delivering the eighth WIDER Annual Lecture on rethinking growth strategies in 2004 Dani Rodrik...

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