Kemal Derviş is a senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program, and the Edward M. Bernstein Scholar. He was vice president and director of the program from April 2009 to November 2017. Formerly head of the United Nations Development Programme and Minister of Economic Affairs of Turkey, he focuses on global economics, emerging markets, European issues, development, and international institutions.
For many years, he has contributed a column every month to Project Syndicate, which they publish in several languages and which is also published as a Brookings blog. A comprehensive collection of these articles has been published by the Brookings Press entitled “Reflections on Progress: Essays on the Global Political Economy.”
Kemal Derviş started teaching economics at the Middle East Technical University in 1974 and has since taught several years at Princeton University in the 1970s and as an adjunct professor at Columbia University from 2009-2015.
As a member of the Turkish Parliament, he was a member of the Convention for the European Constitution from 2003-2004.
He has and continues to be a member of various advisory boards, notably at Sabanci University.
- Contact
- 202.238.3552 — Communications Team, Brookings Global Economy and Development
- 202-540-7753 — Global Economy and Development program
- Topics
- Development Financing
- Emerging Markets
- European Union
- Global Development
- Global Economy
- Global Governance & Politics
- Middle East & North Africa
- South Asia
- Turkey
- Programs
- Global Economy and Development
- Projects
- Brookings Initiative on Climate Research and Action
- Development Assistance and Governance Initiative
- Project on 21st Century City Governance
- The Technology-Productivity-Inequality Nexus
- Additional Expertise Areas
- Global economics
- emerging markets
- development economics
- European economics and EU affairs
- international institutions
- global governance
- Current Positions
- Senior Advisor, Istanbul Policy Center, Sabanci University
- Member of various advisory boards: Institut du Bosphore, Institut de Prospective Economique du Monde Méditerranéen (IPEMED), Center for Global Development, Office Chérifien des Phosphates, Criteria Caixa, Sabanci University
- Past Positions
- Adjunct Professor, Columbia University
- Head of the United Nations Development Programme (August 2005-February 2009)
- Member of the Turkish Parliament representing Istanbul (November 2002-June 2005)
- Minister of Economic Affairs, 57th Government of the Republic of Turkey (March 2001-August 2002)
- Various World Bank positions including: Division Chief for Industrial and Trade Strategy, Director for the Central Europe Department, Vice President of the World Bank for the Middle East and North Africa Region, Vice President for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management
- Has taught economics at Princeton, Bilkent and Middle East Universities
- Has co-taught a course on global economic governance as adjunct professor at Columbia University, 2009-2015
- Member of the Advisory Boards of Abengoa, Guggenheim International and Akbank at various times during the period 2009-2015
- Education
- Ph.D. (1973) Princeton University
- B.Sc. (1969), M.Sc. (1970) London School of Economics
