The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has appointed a new chief economist.
Adnan Qadir Khan joins the role from his position as a professor at the School of Public Policy at the London School of Economics.
“Excited and honoured to join [FCDO] as Chief Economist,” tweeted Khan. “Very much looking forward to working with wonderful colleagues determined to make an impact on some of the most important questions of the day.”
Born in Pakistan, Khan has joined the department after its torrid first year characterized by aid budget cuts — and as it prepares to publish a new international development strategy.
He has taken over from Rachel Glennerster, now an associate professor at the University of Chicago.
Both economists were affiliates of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Why it matters: Before the Department for International Development was closed, the chief economist played a very influential role in the department.
Having started out in Pakistan’s civil service, Khan’s career history has been focused on issues related to development.
“My areas of interest include economic development, political economy, state capacity, and social protection,” he wrote on his website.
Khan’s career has included stints at the Building State Capability program at Harvard University, Reducing State Fragilities initiative at the International Growth Centre, and as a researcher at the Precision Agriculture for Development.
About the author
William Worley@willrworley
Will Worley is the Climate Correspondent for Devex, covering the intersection of development and climate change. He previously worked as UK Correspondent, reporting on the FCDO and British aid policy during a time of seismic reforms. Will’s extensive reporting on the UK aid cuts saw him shortlisted for ‘Specialist Journalist of the Year’ in 2021 by the British Journalism Awards. He can be reached at william.worley@devex.com.
