Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Ioannis Bournakis

Author

Ioannis Bournakis
American University in Cairo

Dr. Ioannis Bournakis is an Associate Professor in Economics at the American University in Cairo. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Kent, UK, and an MA in Economics and Econometrics from the University of Manchester, UK. His research interests are in the areas of Applied Macroeconomics, Productivity, Regional Economics, and Innovation. He has recently published on the fiscal aspects of productivity in the UK. His work also focuses on the role of agglomeration gains in knowledge transfer at the firm and industry level. The macroeconomic work of Ioannis is on growth models, the link between financial reforms and innovation, and the impact of fiscal adjustments on productivity. More recently, Ioannis has developed a research interest in the interplay between institutional roots and the current performance of the MENA countries. Dr. Bournakis has published thirteen papers in international peer-reviewed journals among them in Regional Studies, Economic Inquiry, Review of Income and Wealth, Macroeconomic Dynamics, and Economic Modelling.

Content by this Author

Income inequality convergence across Egyptian governorates

Although the aggregate level of income inequality in Egypt seems to be relatively low and stable, the figures are likely to mask large inequalities at the regional level. This column summarises new evidence on differences in income inequality across governorates, the extent to which those differences are narrowing and the effects on different parts of the income distribution.

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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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