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Dr. Ahsan Kibria has been serving at the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), a Multilateral Development Bank, since 2009 in different capacities. Most recently, he was assigned as the Operations Team Leader for IsDB's education sector interventions in the Middle-East region. His work focuses on SDG 4, which is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. He also leads the efforts to strengthen partnerships with other development partners and stakeholders related to IsDB’s out-of-school children initiative.

Previously, Dr. Kibria worked in the South and West Asia Department as a Country Programs Manager for Afghanistan, Maldives, and Pakistan (and previously as Country Economist covering Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan). He was responsible for country relations, policy analysis, and managing a development project portfolio of over US$1.8 billion. 

In different capacities, Dr. Kibria contributed to preparing the Bank's Country Strategies for Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey, and Morocco. Furthermore, on behalf of the IsDB, he contributed to the formulation of the Government of Bangladesh’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper “The Sixth Five-Year Plan (2011-2016)”. As such, he attained first-hand experience in diagnosing development challenges and the entire economic development process. 

Before joining the Bank in 2009, Dr. Kibria served at Citigroup (Japan) as a Financial Analyst. He is a trained economist with a Ph.D. (Economics) from Utah State University, U.S.A. He is also a graduate of the prestigious International Development Program (M.A) from the International University of Japan and holds a B.B.A in Finance from the University of North Georgia, U.S.A. Further, Dr. Kibria served as a lecturer at the Utah State University teaching undergraduate level Natural Resources Economics and International Trade courses.

Dr. Kibria’s current research falls within the purview of Development Economics and strives to contribute to a deeper understanding of the political economy of the nexus between foreign aid-natural resources-conflict, and economic development. He also has an interest in energy economics and international trade, which were his doctoral minor fields. Dr. Kibria’s geographical interest lies in developing countries and the Arab world. 

"Sometimes it's important to get your hands dirty, even if you're an economist. Being 'on the ground' is essential when you're researching the developing world. It’s the operational experience, the 'being there', that gives you a proper insight into what's happening in these nations, the true nature of their problems, and what might be done to help them."

Over the years I have worked in various developing countries, some have only US$700 GDP per capita, while some other ones have US$7,000 GDP per capita. I have worked with competent Government authorities, such as Cabinet Ministers, Director Generals, Central Bank Governors, and Senior Bureaucrats as well as community members and other project stakeholders in different countries for different development projects. "That's because nothing beats the 'hands-on' approach in terms of building a genuine picture of an economic situation."