Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Sherif Kamel

Author

Sherif Kamel
Professor of Management and Dean of the School of Business, The American University in Cairo

Kamel is a professor of management and dean of the School of Business at the American University in Cairo. Before joining the university, he was the director of the Regional Information Technology Institute and managed the training department of the Cabinet of Egypt Information and Decision Support Center. He is a trustee and an international board member of the Association of MBAs and the Business Graduate Association. He is a member of the board of directors of AACSB International. He co-chairs the board of stewards of the African Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative. He is a member of the Egypt-U.S. Business Council and a founding member of the Internet Society of Egypt. He served as the 18th president of the board of governors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt. He was an independent board member of the Egyptian American Enterprise Fund and the Commercial International Bank. His research and teaching interests include digital transformation, IT transfer to emerging economies, decision support systems, and entrepreneurship. His work is broadly published in information systems and management journals and books. He is the editor of three books; E-Strategies for Technological Diffusion and Adoption: National ICT Approaches for Socioeconomic Development; Electronic Business in Developing Countries: Challenges and Opportunities; and Managing Globally with Information Technology. He serves on the editorial board of Case Focus: The Journal of Business and Management Teaching Cases in the Middle East and Africa and is the associate editor of the Journal of IT for Development and the Journal of Cases on Information Technology. He is the author of the NileView article series. He is an Eisenhower Fellow and holds a Ph.D. in information systems from the London School of Economics; an MBA; an M.A. in Islamic Art and Architecture; and a B.A. in business administration from the American University in Cairo.

Content by this Author

The year ahead: a view from the Nile

In 2023, what lies ahead for Egypt, the Middle East and North Africa, and the wider world? This column, first published by The NileView, suggests that this year is likely to be a blend of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.

The way forward for Egypt

As Egypt prepares to host the 27th Climate Change Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh in November, there may be an opportunity to restart the post-pandemic economic recovery. This column, first published by The NileView, is firmly optimistic about the country’s potential and prospects, with the author opening: ‘I am not an economist, but here is some food for thought on the way forward for Egypt.’

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A Macroeconomic Accounting of Unemployment in Jordan:  Unemployment is mainly an issue for adults and men

Since unemployment rates in Jordan are higher among young people and women than other groups, unemployment is commonly characterised as a youth and gender issue. However, the majority of the country’s unemployed are adults and men. This suggests that unemployment is primarily a macroeconomic issue challenge for the entire labour market. The appropriate response therefore is coordinated fiscal, monetary, structural and institutional policies, while more targeted measures can still benefit specific groups.

Global value chains and sustainable development

What is the role of exchange rate undervaluation in promoting participation in global value chains by firms in developing countries? What is the impact of the stringency of national environmental regulations on firms’ GVC participation? And how do firms’ political connections affect their participation in GVCs? These questions will be explored for the MENA region at a special session of the ERF annual conference, which takes place in Cairo in April 2025.

Adoption of decentralised solar energy: lessons from Palestinian households

The experience of Palestinian households offers a compelling case study of behavioural adaptation to energy poverty via solar water heater adoption. This column highlights the key barriers to solar energy adoption in terms of both the socio-economic status and dwellings of potential users. Policy-makers need to address these barriers to ensure a just and equitable transition, particularly for households in conflict-affected areas across the MENA region.

Migration, human capital and labour markets in MENA

Migration is a longstanding and integral part of the MENA region’s economic and social fabric, with profound implications for labour markets and human capital development. To harness the potential of migration for promoting economic and social development, policy-makers must aim to deliver mutual benefits for origin countries, host countries and migrants. Such a triple-win strategy requires better data, investment in return migration, skill partnerships, reduced remittance costs and sustained support for host countries.




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