Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Ida Mirzaie

Author

Ida Mirzaie
Senior Lecturer, Ohio State University

Ida Mirzaie received her Ph.D. in economics from the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. She joined the Ohio State University in 2000 where she is a senior lecturer in the department of Economics. She has held assistant professor positions at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio and DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, teaching undergraduate and MBA level courses. Dr. Mirzaie is a research fellow at the Economic Research Forum for Arab countries, Turkey and Iran. Dr. Mirzaie’s research topics include investigating the effects of the dollar fluctuations on the U.S. economy, determinants of consumer confidence and debt stress in the U.S., and the effects of government economic policies in Middle East. Dr. Mirzaie serves as a faculty advisor for United Nation Association-Columbus chapter in their joint internship program with International Studies department in addition to advising two student organizations at the OSU, United Nation Association of Columbus Student Alliance, and STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition. She is an ERF Research Fellows.

Content by this Author

Iran: the nuclear deal, currency depreciation and inflation

Iran’s currency has once again fallen against the dollar following the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal. This column explores the inflationary impact of speculative attacks on the rial, as well as the policy responses from the government and the central bank. Such episodes – and subsequent overshooting – have proven to be highly disruptive to the country, with lasting adverse social and economic effects.

Most read

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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