Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Frederick van der Ploeg

Author

Frederick van der Ploeg
Professor of Economics and Research Director of OxCarre, University of Oxford

Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford, having previously been an academic at the University of Cambridge (1977-1983), London School of Economics (1983-1988), Tilburg University (1985-1991) and the European University Institute, Florence (1988, 2003-7), a Chief Financial Spokesperson in the Dutch Parliament (1994-98), a State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science (1998-2002) and an elected member of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (2003-7). Currently, also affiliated with CEPR, CESifo, Oxcarre, Netspar, VU University of Amsterdam, and the Tinbergen Institute. Although most of his work has been on macroeconomics and public finance, he currently works on the economics of natural resources with side interests in higher education reform and economics of art and culture. He earned his Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Cambridge and is editor of the Basil Blackwell Handbook of International Macroecomics, co-author of the OUP textbook Foundations of Modern Macroeconomics, and author of numerous articles in academic journals and the popular press.

Content by this Author

Rethinking the macroeconomics of resource-rich countries

After years of high commodity prices, a new era of lower prices, especially for oil, will be challenging for resource-rich countries, which must cope with the decline in income and the potential widening of internal and external imbalances. This column summarises a recent eBook in which leading economists examine the shifting landscape in commodity markets and explore the exchange rate, monetary and fiscal policy options, as well as the role of finance, including sovereign wealth funds and diversification.

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Empowering Egypt’s young people for the future of work

Egypt’s most urgent priority is creating more and better jobs for its growing youth population. This column reports on the first Development Dialogue, an ERF–World Bank joint initiative, which brought together students, scholars, policy-makers and private sector leaders at Cairo University to confront the country’s labour market challenge. The conversation explored why youth inclusion matters, what the data show and how dialogue and the forthcoming Country Economic Memorandum can inform practical pathways to accelerate job creation.

Preparing youth for the workforce of the future

As economies undergo rapid digital and green transformations, young people face a growing mismatch between their skills and what the modern labour market needs. This column argues that enabling youth to compete in the workforce of the future requires systemic reforms in education, skills formation and labour market institutions, especially in developing economies.

Connectivity and conflict: understanding the risks of inequality in the Middle East

While high inequality does not always lead to conflict, new research reported in this column shows that widespread internet access acts as a catalyst, transforming economic grievances into political instability. For policy-makers in the Middle East and North Africa, this means that as digital connectivity expands, the security costs of ignoring economic disparities rise dramatically. The combination of idle youth, high inequality and high-speed internet is a volatile mix.

The political economy of stalled structural reforms in MENA

There is a persistent pattern to the structural reforms that are required to underpin economic progress in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa: ambitious strategies are announced and partially implemented, but ultimately they are diluted or reversed. This column argues that the repeated stalling of reform is not primarily a failure of economic design. Rather, it reflects deep-seated political economy constraints rooted in rent dependence, elite bargaining and weak institutional credibility. Without addressing these underlying dynamics, reform efforts are likely to remain symbolic rather than transformative.

Closing the gender gap in political participation in MENA

Women across the Middle East and North Africa participate less than men in politics – not only in political parties and elections, but also in petitions, boycotts, protests and strikes. This column reports evidence from ten countries showing that differences in education, employment and political attitudes explain part of this disparity, yet a significant gender gap remains.




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