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.

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Arab youth and the future of work

The Arab region’s labour markets are undergoing a triple transformation: demographic, digital and green. As this column explains, whether these forces evolve into engines of opportunity or drivers of exclusion for young people will hinge on how swiftly and coherently policy-makers can align education, technology and employment systems to foster adaptive skills, inclusive institutions and innovation-led pathways to decent work.

Digitalising governance in MENA: opportunities for social justice

Can digital governance promote social justice in MENA – or does it risk deepening inequality and exclusion? This column examines the evolution of digital governance in three sub-regions – Egypt, Jordan and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council – highlighting how data practices, transparency mechanisms and citizen trust shape the social outcomes of technological reform.

Wrong finance in a broken multilateral system: red flags from COP30-Belém

With the latest global summit on climate action recently wrapped up, ambitious COP pledges and initiatives continue to miss delivery due to inadequate commitments, weak operationalisation and unclear reporting systems. As this column reports, flows of climate finance remain skewed: loans over grants; climate mitigation more than climate adaptation; and weak accountability across mechanisms. Without grant-based finance, debt relief, climate-adjusted lending and predictable multilateral flows, implementation of promises will fail.

Why political connections are driving business confidence in MENA

This column reports the findings of a new study of how the political ties of firms in the Middle East and North Africa boost business confidence. The research suggests that this optimism is primarily driven by networked access to credit and lobbying, underscoring the need for greater transparency and institutional reform in corporate governance.

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.




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