Shahid Yusuf

Shahid Yusuf is Chief Economist of The Growth Dialogue at the George Washington University, School of Business in Washington DC; and Research Associate of the GW Institute for Korea Studies.

He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University, and a BA in Economics from Cambridge University. Prior to joining the Growth Dialogue, Dr. Yusuf was on the staff of the World Bank. During his 35-year tenure at the World Bank, Dr. Yusuf was the team leader for the World Bank-Japan project on East Asia’s Future Economy from 2000-2009. He was the Director of the World Development Report 1999/2000, Entering the 21st Century. Prior to that, he was Economic Adviser to the Senior Vice President and Chief Economist (1997-98), Lead Economist for the East Africa Department (1995-97) and Lead Economist for the China and Mongolia Department (1989-1993). 

Dr. Yusuf has written extensively on development issues, with a focus on East Asia and has also published widely in various academic journals. He has authored or edited more than 25 books and monographs on industrial and urban development, innovation systems and tertiary education, many of which have been translated into a number of different languages. His publications include: China and the Global Economy; Development Economics through the Decades; Under New Ownership: Privatizing China’s State-owned Enterprises (co-authored with Dwight Perkins and Kaoru Nabeshima); Tiger Economies under Threat (co-authored with Kaoru Nabeshima); Two Dragonheads: Contrasting development paths for Beijing and Shanghai (co-authored with Kaoru Nabeshima; China Urbanizes (co-edited with Tony Saich); Growing Industrial Clusters in Asia (co-edited with Kaoru Nabeshima and Shoichi Yamashita); and The Dynamics of Growth in three Chinese Cities (co-authored with Weiping Wu). Dr. Yusuf wrote the chapter on “Increasing the Pace of Innovation” in the World Bank’s report China 2030; co-authored the chapter on “China’s Innovation System” in the World Bank’s report on New Drivers of Growth in China; and co-authored the chapter on “Promoting Innovation and Technology” in the World Bank’s report on Innovative Korea. Over the past year he has worked with UNDP teams on growth policies for Bhutan and Papua New Guinea. His current research is on technological and industrial policies for developing countries, global value chains for semiconductors, agricultural commodities and light manufactures, strategies for Asian and African economies and issues related to climate change. Dr Yusuf lives in the Washington DC area and consults with a number of organizations.