The World Economic Forum kicked off its 54th Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday. A number of high-profile political and business leaders are in attendance, including Chinese Premier Li Qiang, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.N. national security advisor Jake Sullivan, who will each address delegates this week.
Faculty experts at the George Washington University are available to offer commentary, insight and analysis throughout the forum this week. If you’d like to speak with an expert, please contact GW Media Relations at [email protected].
Scheherazade Rehman is the director of the European Union Research Center, a professor of international finance/business, and a professor of international affairs. Rehman has advised a number of institutions including OPIC, USAID, U.S. State Department, The World Bank, IMF, and Central Banks and Finance Ministers of Turkey, Nigeria, Peru, Mongolia, Hungary, Poland, Russia and China. She has also appeared several times before U.S. Congress (both House and Senate members) to discuss the current financial crisis. Her areas of expertise include international finance, global and emerging financial markets, central banking, privatization and financial sector development, Middle East economics and Islamic Finance, and the European Union. Rehman is currently attending the Forum’s annual meeting in Switzerland this week.
Steven Hamilton is an assistant professor of economics. His primary area of research is public finance, where he studies the effects of taxes on behavior with a view to designing better tax policy. In recent research, he investigates the degree to which taxpayers should be allowed to claim tax deductions by measuring the extent to which taxpayers use deductions to avoid paying taxes. Hamilton has provided extensive economic commentary to the New York Times, the LA Times, Time Magazine, Newsweek, The Atlantic, Slate, The Hill, the Sydney Morning Herald, and The Australian, among others.
Nicholas Vonortas is the Associate Dean for Research Initiatives and a professor of economics and international affairs. Vonortas is an expert in economics of technological change, industrial organization and science and technology policy. Additionally, he specializes on strategic partnerships/innovation networks, investment under uncertainty, technology transfer, knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship, and R&D program evaluation.
Heidi Hiebert is a Professorial Lecturer at the Elliott School of International Affairs. Professor Hiebert is an expert in international political economy and international organizations in world politics. Her research includes the role of economic ideas and models in shaping market economies. In addition to her research, Professor Hiebert previously held a position with the World Economic Forum.
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