Razeen Sally to head Institute of Policy Studies

Thursday, 9 April 2015 01:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Razeen Sally Highly-respected international economist, the Lankan-born Razeen Sally is to be appointed as the Chairman of the Institute of Policy Studies, the economic think-tank which is now under the Ministry of Policy Planning and Economic Affairs. The appointment of Sally, who is also a regular columnist for the Daily FT on global economy, was announced by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday during the AMCHAM luncheon meeting. The witty Premier soon after naming Sally joked saying "now all of you will think ‘oh no not another Singaporean’. He (Sally) is not a Singaporean but a British citizen" – a remark that saw AMCHAM forum erupt in laughter. Premier's reference was in an apparent context of on-leave Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran and questions over his suitability given his citizenship in Singapore. The Premier said Sally was picked to ensure Sri Lanka adopts a fresh look on policy to achieve desired growth. The Government has emphasisedthe creation of one million jobs over the next five years, doubling of household income and creating a strong middle class as medium term goals. The IPS is an autonomous institution that aims to promote policy-oriented economic research and to strengthen the capacity for medium-term policy analysis in Sri Lanka. Its mission is to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country through informed, independent, and high quality research that seeks to influence the policy process. With over two decades of substantial research expertise, IPS has emerged as a regional centre of excellence and the most influential think-tank in Sri Lanka. Its longstanding Executive Director has been Dr. SamanKelegama, considered as one of the top economists.Its previous Chairman was Prof. W.D. Lakshman, a senior economist. The IPS is managed by a Board of Governors which comprises three ex-officio members who consist of the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the Secretary to the Treasury and Director-General of Department of National Planning, three appointed members, and the Executive Director of the IPS. Sally is Director of ECIPE, which he co-founded in 2006. He is also the Associate Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore from January 2012. He was on the faculty of the London School of Economics for eighteen years, where he also received his PhD. He has held adjunct teaching, research and advisory positions at universities and think tanks in the USA, Europe, Africa and Asia. He is on the Global Agenda Council for Competitiveness of the World Economic Forum, and was awarded the Hayek Medal by the Hayek Society in Germany in 2011. He is a member of the Mont Pelerin Society. Razeen Sally’s research and teaching focuses on global trade policy and Asia in the world economy. He has written extensively on the WTO, FTAs, and on different aspects of trade policy in Asia. He has also written on the history of economic ideas, especially the theory of commercial policy. He has consulted for governments, international organisations and businesses in Europe and Asia, and comments regularly on international economic issues in the media.