with the special participation as Keynote Speaker of Jesper Roine, Professor of Economics at the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE), and Deputy Director at the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE), Author of Pocket Piketty, and with the support of the Swedish Embassy in Albania under the auspices of HE Ambassador, Elsa Håstad
10th March 2021 / 10:00 – 12:00 / Zoom Platform
Having emerged in the early 1990s from a 50-year totalitarian and isolationist communist regime as the poorest country in Europe, Albania is today a middle-income country, NATO member, and about to start formal negotiations for membership in the European Union (EU). However, the pace of social and economic development and democratization lag behind Albania’s aspirations. In late 2019 and the first half of 2020, Albania was struck first by a devastating earthquake and then by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Both crises have resulted in a notable contraction and particularly challenging in delivering inclusive growth, boosting shared prosperity, and moving forward strategic reforms. Albania needs now to renew its model of economic development in line with the COVID-19 induced reality, global trends, and citizens’ aspirations as well as the European integration process. Against this backdrop, this online discussion will focus on unpacking equality as a critical dimension of prosperity, growth, and democracy in transition economies such as Albania. Academics, experts, civil society representatives, policymakers, the private sector, and development partners will engage in the debate. This e-discussion is organized by the Centre ‘Science and Innovation for Development’ (SCiDEV) in collaboration with the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) and supported by the Embassy of Sweden in Albania.
Keynote speaker Jesper Roine, holds a Ph. D. from Stockholm University (2002). Before joining SITE in 2006 he was research associate at the Deparment of Economics at the school and prior to that Post Doc at STICERD, London School of Economics. Most of his research is related to economic inequality. In addition to his research, he participates widely in the policy debate. He is one of the founders and a regular contributor to Sweden’s leading economics blog, ekonomistas.se (in Swedish) as well as to the FREE Policy Briefs (in English).
Madam Elsa Håstad, HE Ambassador, Embassy of Sweden in Albania, is highly engaged in sutainability and equality. She served as Assistant Director General at SIDA.
Madam Fiona McCluney, the UN Resident Coordinator brings over 30 years of experience as development practicioner and urban planner, including 12 years of service to the UN system.
Prof. Selami Xhepa, President of the European University of Tirana and senior expert in economy with extensive experience in decision making and academia.
Marsela Dauti, holds a PhD and MSW from the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. Louis. During 2018 – 2020, she was a Marie Curie Fellow at the Department of Government at Uppsala University.
Ermelinda Xhaja, Programme Officer/Development Cooperation Good Governance, Embassy of Sweden in Albania.
Blerjana Bino, CoFounder of Center Science and Innovation for Development (SCiDEV), working in the intersection between academia and civil society. During 2016-2017 she was a Swedish Institute Fellow at the Department of Media and Informatics, Uppsala University.
E-discussion agenda.
To access the meeting, register here.