![Vaqar Ahmed Vaqar Ahmed](https://islamabadliteraturefestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Vaqar-Ahmed.jpg)
Vaqar Ahmed
Dr Vaqar Ahmed, Ph.D., MSc., BSc. Honors (Economics) is a former civil servant currently serving as the Joint Executive Director of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI). His previous roles include working with organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank Group, and various ministries in Pakistan, including Finance, Planning, and Commerce. Dr Ahmed is actively involved in multiple capacities, including membership in the USAID Investment & Trade Enhancement Advisory Group, honorary research fellowships at the Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP) Network and the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), and participation in the steering committee of Southern Voice. He also serves on the Federal Board of Revenue’s Resource Mobilization Commission and as a Board Member at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment & Trade. His extensive experience includes roles as a visiting faculty member and researcher at international institutes like the University of Laval in Canada, the University of Le Havre in France, and the National University of Ireland. Dr Ahmed has received recognition for his work, including the 2015 Young Leaders Fellowship award from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a 2021 Canadian Government grant for research on fiscal responses to COVID-19. Dr Ahmed maintains an active publishing profile, covering various aspects of international trade and finance, public finance, and private sector competitiveness. Oxford University Press (OUP) has published his books, including ‘Pakistan’s Agenda for Economic Reforms’ and ‘Economy, Welfare, and Reforms in Pakistan.’ He has also edited a book volume published by FES Germany titled ‘Global Pakistan: Pakistan’s Role in the International System.’