GIZ-PSD Iraq and Iraqi Economists Network (IEN) Joint Initiative to Promote Young Iraqi Economist researchers

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federal enterprise with worldwide operations. GIZ supports the German Government in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. GIZ is also engaged in international education activities around the globe. Through our work we assist people and societies in shaping their own future and improving living conditions. GIZ has more than 22,000 staff around the globe and operates in about 120 countries worldwide. ​

GIZ-PSD Iraq* in cooperation with Iraqi Economists Network (IEN) is pleased to announce a research support programme for young Iraqi economists and invite candidates to submit abstracts on the Iraqi economy, for example:

1. Public sector vs. private sector initiative: can entrepreneurship and innovation induce economic growth, competitiveness, and provide employment opportunities in Iraq?
2. Economics of small and medium size enterprises:
   1. Opportunities and constraints facing small and medium size enterprises in Iraq.
   2. Financing start-ups and small and medium size enterprises: the role of formal financial institutions and informal financial market.
   3. The economics of import substitution industries: the role of small and medium size companies in the food sector industry in Iraq.
3. Economics of agriculture:
   1. The economics of cereals production: can Iraqi farmers fill the potential yield gap (e.g. role of extension, technological innovation, and young entrepreneurs).
   2. What is missing in agricultural extension? can Iraqi agriculture apply new extension model?
   3. How can the agricultural sector play a leading role in economic growth by creating value added chain with other producing sectors such as processing industries and creating new jobs as well as contributing to a sustainable social and economic development in rural areas?
4. Economics of digital technology:
   1. Can tech start-ups contribute to economic growth in Iraq?
   2. Identification of opportunities and impediments for the effective application of modern technologies and digitalisation in administrative and institutional reform in Iraq.
   3. Technical change, growth and employment: Iraq as a case study.
   4. Review and evaluation of the latest strategy and policy to introduce E-Government and identify major impediments hindering tangible achievements.
5. Electricity power sector issue: Can Iraq develop a viable solution model for restructuring Iraq’s power industry?
   1. Review and evaluate past reform attempts and identify policy failures on the sector level.
   2. Carry out a field study on Governorate level to collect date on the private Neighbourhood producer and analyse their economic and political influence.
6. Youth employment mapping in Iraq: what can be learned from youth employment policy formulation? Capturing representative data with economic interpretation to understand future dynamics of employment.
7. The impact of demographic changes and of internal migration from rural to urban areas on the provision of public services and sustainable economic and social development in Iraq during the period 1990-2020.
8. Toward a clear-cut scientific definition of Iraq’s private sector considering quantitative and qualitative analyses of the economic agents in different sub-sectors and the different organization groups and institution
9. New approaches and innovative policy measures to tackle the rentier state trap and what are the requisites for implementing an effective economic diversification strategy.
10. Policies to promote economic resilience in Iraq: how to retrofit the economy to withstand external supply and demand shocks, with a particular focus on oil price shocks.
11. Macroprudential stability and credit cycles: instruments to measure macro-fiscal stability and credit growth

These above-mentioned research areas are suggestions. However, the participant is free to choose a different research question demonstrating a strong link to and relevance for the Iraqi economy. PSD* and IEN team encourages research candidates to come up with innovative research questions and approaches conducive to bring about clear-cut and feasible research output representing solid foundation for policy making measures affecting specific sector or the economy as whole.

The participant is expected to submit a research abstract with 500-800 words in Arabic, Kurdish, or English languages. There will be an evaluation committee to assess the abstracts based on scientific assessment criteria. The best six abstracts will be pre-selected by the committee. The evaluation committee expects that the submitted abstracts are based on rigorous scientific background and the proposed research or paper will be based on primary or field data.

After the selection of the successful abstracts, the six candidates will be asked to submit a preliminary draft of the research paper.

Out of those six drafts, the top three researchers will be coached to finalise their papers by member of the committee. All three researchers will be invited by the Iraqi Economists Network to present their paper in a special webinar. Furthermore, all three successful papers will be published on the website of IEN.

The deadline for submitting the abstracts is December 24, 2020.

The abstracts should be sent as word document file along with CV to the coordinator Mr. Hammam Al-Shawi hammam.alshawi@giz.de