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I am a senior socioeconomic development professional, specialising in labour market and employment analysis and policy, HRD, youth, entrepreneurship,MSEs, and migration, with long and diversified experience in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and South Pacific. I worked for public, private, and not-for-profit higher education institutions, governments, and international organisations. |
 Contact Abbas Ahmed
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Area of Expertise: |
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Monitoring, Evaluation, Policy, Research, Analysis
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Professional Experience: |
I am a senior professional with long and diversified research, consultancy, teaching, training, and management experience that spans over several countries in four world regions. I worked for public, private, and not-for-profit higher education institutions, governments, and international organisations. I spent a large part of my professional life in a World-Class institution -Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Erasmus University of Rotterdam, Netherlands- engaged in research and postgraduate education on international development. This position has allowed involvement in and managing several research and consultancy projects in many countries and covering various themes. Equally large segment of my experience has been gained in the Gulf region in senior roles in research and advisory work and in academic management.
Major areas of expertise are:
• Labour market analysis and policy; employment policy; youth employment.
• HRD strategies; relevance of higher education; TVET; training policy and evaluation.
• Micro and small enterprise development; entrepreneurship education and training.
• Socioeconomic development analysis, policies, and strategies.
Highlights of Research and Consultancy Work: Theme and Countries
Published six international books, many articles, chapters, monographs, and consultancy reports. Four of my books have been reprinted 7-14 times.
Thematically and geographically research and consultancy work covered the following: labour market analysis, policy and information (Sudan, Kuwait, Philippines, UAE, Somalia); employment strategy (with a focus on nationalization of jobs in the Gulf) and migration for employment (Gulf generally, Kuwait, UAE, Hawaii, Tonga Island and South Pacific generally); relevance of higher and vocational educational programmes and planning and management of training (Philippines, Yemen, UAE, Sudan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman); small enterprise development, entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurship education (UAE, Sudan, Ethiopia and a case of a multinational university); youth unemployment and employment (conflict-affected areas, Pacific region, Algeria, Morocco, Ethiopia, Sudan, UAE); socioeconomic change and development (Sudan, UAE, Ethiopia, Somalia, Morocco).
Was a leader of several research projects in various countries (and director of a research centre and a research department) and supported individual research consultants and in-house researchers.
Participated in and directed several consultancy and advisory projects for international organisations (UNFPA; UNDP; UNIDO; UNESCO; World Bank), governments and not-for-profit organisations in four world regions. Was directly involved in the acquisition of most of these projects and generated substantial income to my institution in the Netherlands. (See list Below).
Have undertaken over 40 surveys in 13 countries to support research and have also guided field survey work of researchers and students.
Positions 1991-2020
2020-todate: Freelance Researcher/Consultant, sole practitioner permit- Dubai Development Authority (labour markets, employment, training, MSEs, entrepreneurship)
2017-2019: Director Policy and Research (youth employment, socioeconomic development, conflict-affected countries), Silatech.
2013-2017: Acting Dean; Research Advisor (relevance of university programmes, entrepreneurship education, institutional research), Arab Open University H.Q.
2012-2013: Advisor/Professor (employment, labour markets, education and training, human development), Arab Planning Institute.
2005-2011: Dubai Branch Director/Professor, European University College Brussels.
1999-2005: Senior Advisor to UAE Minister of Labour, Director of Labour Market Research and Information Centre.
1991-2004: Senior Research Fellow/Senior Lecturer (labour market economics and socioeconomic development), Institute of Social Studies, University of Rotterdam
Languages: English, Arabic
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Education: |
- PhD in Development Economics, The School of Development Studies, University of East Anglia (England) – 1985
- MSc in Political Economy and Economic Planning (First Class) - (a 5-year programme), Corvinus University of Budapest (current name) (Hungary) – 1978
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