Asim Ijaz Khwaja
@aikhwaja
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A thriving world for all | Every challenge = an opportunity | Director @HarvardCID, Prof Public Policy @Kennedy_School | Economist |@EPoDHarvard @CERPakistan
Joined August 2017
1/n On Loss. 2020 has been a hard year. It has been the hardest of my life so far. I lost my father, father-in-law and brother over the summer. I loved & miss all three. As I work through the losses, I am sharing thoughts & advice I received in the hope it may help others.
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Have resigned from EAC. Painful, deeply sad decision. Grateful for chance to aid analytical reasoning but not when such values compromised. Personally as a Muslim I can't justify this. May Allah forgive/guide me&us all.Ever ready to help.Pakistan Paindabad.
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For those looking for silver lining on EAC issue: Here is a start: 1. The EAC now has openings for Pakistani women economists-urge Govt to invite 2. One learns from failures & has to keep trying (I am not giving up on Pakistan - inshAllah finding other ways to help) 3.add more. ?.
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Is Pakistan’s economy really in a deep crisis ?. And more importantly, what can one do about it? . Sharing some thoughts in this thread & welcome yours - 1/n.
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My piece in Dawn w/ Ijaz Nabi on the EAC issue. Different decisions don't have to imply opposing values. To progress as a nation we cannot demonize one another. Have to figure out way to allow each other to contribute to our country. Can't afford not to.
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Grateful to be given a chance to give back whatever one can - inshallah willing to help any Govt as long as there is space for non-partisan, analytically sound and evidence driven work . .
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Grateful for the opportunity. Blessed with amazing staff, students and faculty. Our responsibility is to deploy this talent and work collaboratively with others to catalyze positive impact in the world - especially where it’s most needed . .
HKS's @aikhwaja has been named faculty director of @HarvardCID. He will start his appointment as director on July 1
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@AtifRMian Atif’s too generous (& hasn’t mentioned the many more occasions he’s bailed me out) lucky to have been born in a supportive family, have incredible friends and be blessed w/ favorable circumstances that gave me more than I deserved . dream of a world where others have that too.
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Pakistan's potential (Happy 75th!). On a recent field trip I was reminded why, despite the macro challenges, there is much hope for Pakistan. A thread on what I learnt from a conversation with Saima (Class 5) and Nadeem (Class 3). (1/n).
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Please spread the word/retweet! As I start as Director @HarvardCID (july 1) looking for director level person to help w/ development strategy. Exciting opportunity to help grow CID & deploy the best global talent to work on the most pressing problems facing the world today . .
Now hiring! We're looking for a Director of Strategic Engagement and Development to help grow Harvard’s premier international development research center. @Kennedy_School @aikhwaja @ricardo_hausman.
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For low-income countries out there-please don't follow western/richer countries in how to deal with COVID19-sadly they have mostly messed up (shocking) & are desperately in 2nd best solutions now-for this better to look East (Korea etc.) instead-you will find TESTING is key.
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Corona Calculus (CC) 1/20: The past few days have been overwhelming the world over–going from mild concerns to most places (work, school, shops) closing & interactions limited to remote ones. What is happening & what can we do?.
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Third & the main point. Focus on raising productivity in everything that we do –as individuals, as a collective, and as a nation. That’s really (mostly) it. And yes, push for equitable opportunities–but that comes naturally when one enables each person’s productive potential.
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Amaan (my son) and I really enjoyed sharing what he does in the US - @DOE_SC_NSB at his school @lexminutemen - let’s spread love for science - thanks @AtharOsama and prof Yasira waqar and team (Moeed, Habiba, Injila& Ummara) @LifeAtLUMS ed school.
First ever Science Bowl conducted at @PakInnovates by Dr. @aikhwaja, cofounder CERP, and President and CEO CERP @MaroofAliSyed. Photo credits: PIF
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One of my most memorable nights in the academy. Hearing 3 Nobel laureates share their personal journeys & donate their Nobel Prize proceeds to Weiss fund to support grad/junior faculty research!Humbled also by Andy Weiss substantially upping his support - incredible people !!!.
Historic NBER/BREAD meeting featuring reminisces by the three Laureates (pictured in various angles here)!
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Fully agree - inshallah hope can raise gender representation concern the first time we meet. We simply cannot make progress without engaging with and catalyzing half our country . at all levels . .
It’s time that evidence-based policymaking becomes the cornerstone of institution building and structural reforms. While I am proud to see CERP represented so well, I wish we had more gender balance in Pakistan’s new Economic Advisory Council (EAC).
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Well for starters, let’s not panic or induce others to do so. It just doesn’t help. Who would trust an emergency room doctor who is hyperventilating! And every good doctor first starts by calming the patient down. So let's all take a deep collective breath.
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I realize that many of us are despondent. Others, driven to optimism by faith and necessity. But we need neither be despairing nor naïve. We have agency & many blessings. So let’s act first to improve ourselves, and then demand it of others. n/n.
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@KhurramHusain Always enjoy a debate & while enough has been said, don't agree that responding to COVID is one field's role-we need a multidisciplinary consortium (see @CERPakistan)-as many interrelated issues; thanks to intro from @mushfiq_econ now working w/ @SaadOmer3 leading Yale ID doc.
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For days when it seems the hate mongers are winning . here’s an image to express our feelings . non-violently of course.
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One, start by raising your own productivity. The economy is a collection of each one of us. Whether a student, home-worker, in the manufacturing/service sector –the junior-most or leader–you matter. Think of one thing you can do to raise your PRODUCTIVITY. Do it. Pick another.
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Three, accept (happily) that we need not wait for “new and better” Pakistanis & Pakistani leaders to emerge. Instead adopt a more “systems” view of reform that recognizes the talent we have and empowers it so that even as it pursues individual success, we add to the collective.
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It’s been a year of loss for many and this Eid feels very different . But Eid brings us together to celebrate our sacrifices & humanity. Let’s find smiles in the happiest memories of our loved ones -we miss u but are blessed & grateful to have had u in our lives. Eid mubarak all!.
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@DesiDocMI Given limited social mobility in the world sadly success is mostly just based on the luck of where you were born . hopefully as we create better opportunities for everyone that will start changing.
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Always great to be able to exchange ideas . truly believe that despite tough challenges (including current ones) Pakistan does have the right “ingredients” for growth and success - just need to enable them effectively.
#CERP leadership @MaroofAliSyed and @aikhwaja talk to @geonews_urdu after their discussion on ‘Unleashing Pakistan's Potential: Driving Change through Evidence Driven Smart Policy’ at @ucl hosted by @BPF_UK
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if there was one characteristic you could wish for in humanity what would it be? . many come to mind but I keep coming back to one . CURIOSITY . I feel a curious mind can enable so many other traits we may wish for (& admittedly, some we don't). what is yours?.
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4/n- Loss&Grief #3 Sharing. I have had my moments of wallowing in self-pity. But the more I did so, it paralyzed and put me in negative spirals. My wife’s advice and practice has been to lessen your grief by helping lessen that of others. That’s helped a lot more.
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My friend and colleague @AtifRMian has rightly raised concerns that Pakistan is in trouble. And while I agree with the symptoms he describes, we need to think more about what the deeper causes and viable solutions may be.
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We need to realize solution is not shutting the economy down but learning from experiences like Korea's where large scale&representative TESTING allows for more controlled social distancing, health & socioeconomic responses-this is the time for thoughtful NOT knee-jerk reactions!.
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Great article on getting education reforms in Pakistan to fulfill their potential. Good news is we’re trying - just need to be more systematic about reform by using experimental & iterative approaches. After all we can’t promote learning if reform process isn’t learning itself. .
The second in #TheAnalyticalAngle, our series in collaboration with @CERPakistan & @dawn_com is out:. Why haven't Pakistan's education reforms had more effect, and how can we do better? Analysis by Tahir Andrabi & Isabel Harbaugh Macdonald.
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My piece with @tiffsi. First in series - collaboration between Dawn @EPoDHarvard @CERPakistan. Article makes 2 points 1. Incentive Pay works 2. Evidence based policy works. The Analytical Angle: Taking an experimental approach on civil service reform, .
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It’s Eid today-usu one of the happiest of days for Muslims. But given the losses the world over it is hard to feel the usual joy. Yet we must if we are to renew. So let’s celebrate in the love & happiest memories of those lost & but not gone-who forever inspire us. Eid Kareem!.
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3/n- Loss&Grief #2 Why me? I struggled with why we faced such unexpected losses. What have I done wrong to deserve this? Its taken a while to realize I am not special. Loss is truly a part of life & others experience it all the time. We are not special, but we are also not alone.
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2/n- Loss&Grief #1 “Be Strong” While I have tried to control intense emotions, it has also helped more to let them thru–the bad but also the good. Seeing my 9-year old still finding moments of laughter even when surrounded by deep grief has made me not feel guilty about smiling.
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Enjoyed sharing some thoughts on Pakistan (covid-19, growth & productivity, teaching) with the Business Recorder
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Two, demand through voice & vote, in your place of work & your constituency, that our leaders focus on raising collective productivity. For each program-from CPEC to “naya housing”-ask how it will raise productivity, insist this be demonstrated & tested, and changed when needed.
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It’s indeed a sad point when economic recovery strategy includes banning pet food … even sadder that we don’t have domestic manufacturing capacity for a pretty simple item … and yet even sadder that inequality means many people live worse lives than one should ever accept.
Why has Govt banned Cat & Dog Food? This one is not well advised. This food is not a luxury but a necessary item for those who keep pets. Request to PM @CMShehbaz to kindly lift ban on this item since there is no local food available for these creatures. #AnimalRights
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To use a medical analogy Pakistan is suffering primarily from a chronic and not acute illness. So what should be done?.
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First, let’s start by putting things in perspective. Is the current situation truly unprecedented; a national emergency ? . Sadly, not.
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In taxation, a series of projects show that rewarding tax-collectors through performance pay and merit based transfers, can raise tax collection. Yes, the same supposedly corrupt, lazy civil servants when rewarded justly can raise their productivity.
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The Corona crisis shows how polarized we are: some still deny this is an issue & others want to shut-down everything to address it. Yet ironically both share the same error-being swayed by mass opinions-if there ever was a time for deliberative well-informed responses it is now. .
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It is critical to understand that Productivity is NOT the same as production. One can increase production by adding more inputs/resources. Productivity makes MORE with the SAME resources. 2+ 2 becomes more than 4. More productive individuals and economies ultimately win out.
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Second, even as we treat the symptoms (if a patient is bleeding, one typically starts by stemming the bleeding–there are analogous macro stabilization steps we can & should take) let’s keep in mind that the real solutions are structural ones that will take more time and learning.
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Nature does have an interesting sense of humor - expressing its thoughts about the state of global affairs . .
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And while we can cherry pick numbers, I encourage the reader to look at their favorite (dire?) indicator (look at or ) and you will see the persistent nature of Pakistan’s challenges.
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Ultimately, what we choose to believe in is just that-a choice. And beliefs matter since they can be self-fulfilling. I choose to believe (w/ some supporting evidence:) that we have millions of Saimas & Nadeems who can dream big. And who will inspire us by achieving even more.
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Why? Let’s revisit the question of indebtedness. Think of two people –one borrows 20% of their net worth, the other 60%. Not knowing anything else we worry about the 2nd. But what if the first uses the funds to through a lavish party & the other invests to grow their business?.
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First, a quick note on what is productivity and why is it so important. Simply put, an individual or economy is more productive if it can make more from the given amount of resources (skill, land, natural resources) that it has.
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. will share more thoughts in the following days on my own evolution . .
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Good news from Pakistan - one population increase we should all celebrate .
Good news: A recent @WWFPak study shows that the number of #IndusRiver dolphins, locally known as #bhulan has increased from only 1,200 in 2001 to 1816 -1900 in 2017. Find out more at #Indusriverdolphin #SaveOurSpecies
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As someone who hesitates presenting grand solutions (I don’t think there is a substitute for hard work and that searching for messianic saviors and silver bullets is a fantasy we can’t afford), let me offer three pieces of hopefully implementable advice.
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Couldn’t be happier. Brilliant scholars, deeply concerned about development, and fabulous mentors !!.
BREAKING NEWS:.The 2019 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel has been awarded to Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer “for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.”. #NobelPrize
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For individuals and nations that show high productivity, funding is never the constraint. Outside help never a necessity. Investors –domestic and foreign– will rush to support them, and they will grow and thrive, despite what political consensus their society may/may not achieve.
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In education, the 20+ year LEAPS program supports this “systems view”. Whether informing parents thru report cards, providing grants to schools, or aiding teachers, we find addressing frictions & empowering actors improves learning for Pakistani children
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Who is the most dangerous person today who deserves our support? Someone who is COVID19 positive but has no symptoms. This is precisely the person we are NOT testing now. If we can't figure out how to do so, how can we help them self-isolate & not unknowingly destroy lives?.
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Great idea for places/people with limited/costly net access-key is to get engaging programing that helps learning but is also fun&inspirational-have virtual competitions(science, arts, humanities) which highlight children-nothing like celebrating our future when things feel bleak.
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Well deserved . .
We are proud to announce that EPoD Co-Director Rohini Pande is being honored by the American Economics Association @AEACSWEP for her work furthering the status of women in the economics profession. Read more here:
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For those who want to see the actual papers there are here.
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The second, is admittedly trickier. It is partly self-evident: accountability helps induce good behavior. And a history of Pakistan’s reforms suggests that we have often overlooked this productivity lens and applying it could have helped identify & refine failing programs.
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Miss my brother tremendously but heartened to see his colleagues honoring his memory . may he inshallah inspire others to serve with compassion and a spirit of collaboration @amirkhw @YKhwaja @natashakhwaja.
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So how does one raise productivity? There must be a catch, right? Yes and no. Yes, that it requires effort –individual & collective (& remember productivity is not production). No, as it provides a very clear & simple guiding principal to judge our own & our leader’s actions.
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The third, I have spent two and a half decades as a researcher implementing with practitioners. It works. Let me give two examples from my own body of work.
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Looking for an Executive Director to closely work with me and help lead our growth strategy ! Please share widely ….
Now hiring 📢 CID has an exciting new opportunity for an Executive Director (ED). The ED, in partnership with the Center Faculty Director, will play a key leadership role in developing, resourcing, and executing an ambitious growth strategy. Learn more:
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Can these three rather simplistic pieces of advice work? . The first, I will leave you to judge but there is nothing stopping us from implementing it. So try it and see.
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@KhurramHusain @CERPakistan @mushfiq_econ @SaadOmer3 Actually that's not true- will write longer chain/article when get a chance (ref @SaadOmer3) but very briefly:mitigating virus relies on epimodelling except such models don't endogenize human behavior (critical in how R evolves & virus speads)-that's where ec etc add sig value.
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Top Pakistan finance officials and HKS faculty assess future after debt crisis | Harvard Kennedy School
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Enjoyed sharing some thoughts on how to bring in analytics in decision making in this podcast.
. @aikhwaja on data access: "The more you consume, the better it gets.". The @HarvardCID podcast is:.🎙️On iTunes: .🎙️On Soundcloud:
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Many take perverse pleasure in the US Capitol riots. I get it. A chance to point out the hypocrisy of (American) exceptionalism. But we risk a race to the bottom when we rejoice in other's failures & not successes-the same day also saw the first Black Senator elected from Georgia.
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@ShehzadRoy @sabagl @taidrus @MuradAliShahPPP @murtazawahab1 Thanks -very impressed by the sindh team and grateful to CM @MuradAliShahPPP for sharing time - @ShehzadRoy could also be of great help by further spreading public health messaging.
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