Experts
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Arkebe Oqubay (PhD) is a distinguished scholar-practitioner. He is a British Academy
Global Professor at SOAS University of London. He is a former Senior Minister and has
served as a Special Advisor to three successive prime ministers of Ethiopia. He has been at
the centre of policymaking in Ethiopia for over 30 years, successfully leading bold reforms
and playing a pivotal role in Ethiopia’s economic transformation. He is the former Mayor
of Addis Ababa, recognized for transforming the city. He has led the boards of key public
enterprises, including Ethiopian Airlines. Dr Arkebe’s research focuses on structural transformation,
catch-up, green transformation, and industrial policy with a focus on Africa. Dr
Arkebe currently gives policy advice to, and consults for, African governments and international
organizations. The NewAfrican recognized Dr Arkebe as one of the 100 Most
Influential Africans of 2016 and a “leading thinker on Africa’s strategic development” for
his work on industrialization and industrial policies. His publications for Oxford University
Press include Made in Africa (2015), How Nations Learn (2019, with Ohno), China-Africa and
an Economic Transformation (2019, with Lin); African Economic Development: Evidence,
Theory, and Policy (2020, with Cramer and Sender). He co-edited The Oxford Handbook of
the Ethiopian Economy (2019, with Cheru and Cramer); The Oxford Handbook of the South
African Economy (2021, with Tregenna and Valodia); The Oxford Handbook of Industrial Hubs and Economic Development (2020, with Lin); and The Oxford Handbook of Industrial
Policy (2020, with Cramer, Chang, and Kozul-Wright). He is also a Professor of Practice at
the University of Johannesburg, an Honorary Professor at the University of Cape Town,
and a Distinguished Professor at Fudan University (Shanghai) and Nanyang Technological
University (NTU) in Singapore. Dr Arkebe is an ODI Distinguished Fellow and a UNUWIDER
Honorary Research Fellow. He holds a PhD in Development Studies from SOAS,
University of London.
