Amartuvshin Amarjargal is a PhD in Economics and professor of University of the Humanities. Basically she researches rural poverty, income inequality and herders issues of Mongolia. She received her PhD in Economics from Kobe University and was a visiting scholar at the American University in Washington DC and a collaborator of the NASA project with professors from Michigan State University on Urbanization Process of East Asian Countries. She actively involves in consultancy to ADB, UNDP and World Bank Projects on CBA analysis of the mining sector, sanitary issues and its economic values and financing methodology of rural primary health care and etc.

Research interests:

• Bargaining power of herders women of Mongolia
• Mining impact on rural migration
• Herders market integration issues
• Local community involvement
• Cost benefit analysis of a mining sector

Giang has been a lecturer at the Faculty of International Economics, Foreign Trade University, Vietnam, since 2009. She teaches Environmental economics, Research methodology, Cost Benefit Analysis, and Green Economy.

Her research interest includes environmental economics, sustainable development issues especially in agricultural economics, and sustainable consumption/production. Since her interest is related to sustainable development issues, she is teaching and conducting research related to gender economics and equality.

She completed her Master’s degree in economics from Monash University in 2015, then got Ph.D. in Economics in 2020 from RMIT University (Melbourne).

Currently, Giang is working on different projects funded by Ministry of Training and Education (Vietnam), GDN, and ERIA to conduct studies on sustainable consumption and production in Vietnam. She can use statistical softwares such as Stata and SmartPLS for data analysis.

Her publications are on Ecological Economics, Journal of Environmental Management, and Current Psychology, which are related to agricultural economics, sustainable production, and behavioral economics. 

Juna Miluka is an Associate Professor of Economics and Dean of the Faculty of Economy and Business at the University of New York, Tirana. She holds a PhD in economics from the American University, Washington, DC. Prof. Miluka teaches a variety of courses in microeconomics and development economics. She has extensive experience working as a technical expert with many international organizations conducting research on the gender wage gap and inequalities in the labor market, poverty, vulnerability, impact evaluation, migration, education, etc. She has been part of many international teams giving her contribution in calculating the poverty level in Albania, measuring the gender wage gap, constructing vulnerability mapping for women and children across regions of Albania, assessing gender differences in endowments, economic opportunities, and agency, etc. She has also co-authored the first Gender Equality Index report for Albania, and her research on vulnerability has been used by employment offices to create a profiling tool for the unemployed jobseekers.

Khanh has been a lecturer of Department of Macroeconomics at the Faculty of International Economics, Foreign Trade University, Vietnam since 2019. His research interests are economic growth, digital transformation, digital economy, innovation, university-industry cooperation, career development, and student mobility. His studies employ both quantitative and qualitative approaches. In the field of practical teaching experiences, he has participated in scientific research projects in the context of digital transformation. He has 5 years of professional working experiences in public-, private sectors in Vietnam and the UK. He also has extensive professional experiences in multicultural settings as he completed his Master’s degree in International Business Management at University of Huddersfield, UK.

Laura C. Blanco has a PhD in Politics, Economics and Philosophy from the University of York and a Bachelor and a MSc. in Economics from Universidad de Costa Rica. She is currently an associate professor at the Department of Economics at Universidad de Costa Rica. Her research interests include gender, labor and educational economics. She has published on topics such as gender wage differentials among academic tenured staff, wage differentials among graduates from public and private universities, occupational segregation, sexual violence and access to contraception. She also has non-academic experience in finances, zoning planning and educational policy.

María del Pilar Castillo was born in Colombia and currently lives in that country, she is married and a mom of two sons. She completed her Ph.D. in Economics at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. For eighteen years Prof. Castillo has been teaching courses in Economics at Universidad del Valle, in Cali. Currently, she has two courses in Game Theory and Feminist Economics. In the research field, she was conducting a study on the vulnerabilities of young people in Cali, who live in violent and poverty contexts. A few months ago, she finished another one about the living conditions of black young women living in segregated neighborhoods, both studies were funded by the International Development Research Centre, and involved constant work with communities, with direct interventions on the territory. In fact, the first research resulted in a book on invisible socioeconomic barriers faced by young people in Cali, which outlines the main results of her research on that marginalized youth population. At this moment with her work team, they are finishing a second book with the results of the research on vulnerable women in Cali. She now hopes to conduct research on the effect of the consequences of inefficient policies implemented on women's unpaid workload, focusing on urban violence and public transportation.

Maria Jose Sauma Chacon is an Instructor of Economics at the University of Costa Rica and economic consultant in several international organizations. She obtained a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Costa Rica, followed by a Master's degree in Development Economics from the University of Sussex. Currently, she is working on research on the gender wage gap in Costa Rica as well as other inequalities in the labor market. Additionally, she has worked in various projects related to green and inclusive economic development, as well as supported different Central American countries with their decarbonization plans.

Rejla Bozdo is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tirana. After earning her degree in 2005 from the Faculty of Economics at University of Tirana, she began her career as an academic staff member, and is currently a full-time lecturer for subjects related to marketing.

In 2009, Rejla completed her MBA studies at the Institute Universitarie Kurt Bosch, based in Sion, Switzerland. She later earned her "Doctor of Economic Sciences" degree in 2015 from the University of Tirana, with a dissertation on "The relationship between corporate brand, reputation and public relations."

Aside from her academic work, Rejla has also worked in the business sector, specializing in marketing research, marketing strategy, marketing communications, and public relations. Additionally, she serves as a management consultant and expert for private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and has contributed to vocational education and training.

Rejla is an active public figure in Albania, regularly contributing articles on social and economic issues and participating in media panels. She is particularly committed to helping youth enter the labor market, providing trainings, coaching, and support.

In 2019, Rejla co-founded Changemakers Albania, a non-profit organization that focuses on creating positive change in Albania, particularly for youth, education, innovation, women, talented individuals, and those who are disadvantaged. She currently serves as its Executive Director.

Throughout her career, Rejla has participated in numerous national and international training programs and conferences, including those organized/supported by Robert Schuman Institute, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, NDI, IRI, USAID, and Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Dr Jamela Basani Hoveni as a Senior Researcher leads the Feminist Economics project at the IEJ. Holding a PhD in Economics and an M.Com. in Financial Markets from Rhodes University, Jamela brings a wealth of experience to the organization. Prior to joining the IEJ she spent nine years in academia as both a Lecturer and Researcher, specializing in gender analysis in economics, trade, macroeconomics, and finance. Her corporate background includes roles as a Financial Analyst and Economist. Jamela is a self-published feminist creative writer, authoring the anthology, “Random Walk: Modern African Stories.” She is a spoken word poet who focusing on empowering African women and challenging gender stereotypes. Jamela’s passion for reading and writing shapes both her personal and professional pursuits.

Dr. Violeta Rodríguez del Villar served in various official capacities within the government's budgetary, expenses, and auditing departments in Mexico City. During this time, she acquired applied training in public finance management. Subsequently, she transitioned to become an associated researcher at the Institute for Economic Research (IIEc) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) upon completing her master’s degree in 2009. In 2020, Violeta embraced feminist economics as her primary research area when she was selected to succeed the head of the research project on women’s employment at IIEc upon their retirement. Consequently, she shifted her focus to analyzing the challenges of Mexico's gender budget and gender budgeting. In 2022, she received additional support from her colleagues when they nominated her as a Global Scholar at American University, where she completed a Graduate Certificate in Gender Analysis in Economics. Currently, she is focused on estimating the gender gaps in salaried and non-salaried incomes, as well as employment and participation in the labor market in Mexico. Violeta is the author of 21 peer-reviewed essays published in IIEc’s books and journals. She has also been a speaker at 52 conferences and has taught 62 core courses on heterodox and orthodox microeconomics, time series analysis, and public finance in the Bachelor's in Data Science and Master's programs at UNAM.

Dr. Nayana Guerrero is a dedicated advocate for women's empowerment, leveraging her extensive experience in research, podcasting, and business ventures to amplify women's stories, experiences, and achievements. With a Ph.D. and over 14 years of experience in building global strategic alliances for gender equality, she passionately champions the impact of women on society, driven by her belief in the transformative power of education and feminism. Drawing from her diverse experiences, Dr. Guerrero has conducted empowering women's leadership workshops worldwide, inspiring over 5,000 participants to become catalysts for change and cultivate gender-inclusive environments. Her expertise and leadership have been pivotal in advancing gender diversity and inclusivity across business, industry, and academia.

As a trilingual gender research scientist fluent in Spanish, French, and English, Dr. Guerrero has shared her insights on gender issues at over 80 public events, effectively translating complex scientific concepts to engage diverse audiences in the global arena.

Dr. Sinazo Ntsongo is a dedicated scholar with a robust academic background and a commitment to community development. She is an MSc and PhD in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics from Rhodes University. With nearly a year of experience as a Lecturer in Economics and three months as a Research Assistant at the South African Cultural Observatory, Sinazo has honed her skills in both academic and practical settings. Her teaching tenure includes lecturing courses in Environmental Economics and Macroeconomics, where she has prepared comprehensive lecture materials, facilitated student consultations, and designed exam content. As a Research Assistant, she contributed significantly to policy reports and developed infographics to support understanding of business model adaptations during the pandemic. Sinazo has also been actively involved in various community engagement initiatives, such as the BuddyingQ Early Childhood Literacy Program and serving as a Wellness Leader and Residential Environmental Representative at Rhodes University. Sinazo has presented her research at notable conferences, including the Oxford Symposium on Population, Migration, and the Environment, and has co-authored a publication on rural migrant poverty alleviation. Her academic excellence and research contributions have been recognized with several certificates and awards.

PhD Candidate Nataly Rendon Gonzalez is a Professor in EIA University, Columbia. She has a PhD and Masters in Economics from EAFIT University, Medellin, Colombia. Her research focuses on crime economics and gender, international trade, economic growth, monetary policy. Funded by EIA and EAFIT Universities, Dr. Rendon will join AU Department of Economics as a Visiting Scholar and research determinants of women's criminality in Medellín.

Dr. Pereira Vieceli has a PhD in Economics from Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). She is a member of the Centre of Feminist Studies, Extension and Research at UFRGS and a columnist at portal Democracy and Work World. Her research interests include the labor market, economic development, Brazilian economy, feminism and relations of gender and race.

Dr. Afful-Mensah is a Lecturer at University of Ghana. She has a PhD in Economics from Lombardy Advanced School of Economic Research (Universities of Milan, Brescia and Pavia), Milan, Italy. Her research interests include Economics of Maternal and Child Healthcare Utilization, Economics of Development (Aid, Poverty, Health outcomes) and Inequality in Health. Coming to AU as a PAGE Visiting Fellow, she will research household shocks in Ghana – understanding the gender differences in the choice of mitigating strategies and economic implications.

Dr. Dias Kuhn is a Professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil and a coordinator of research projects in South Economies and interculturality at UFRGS. She has a PhD and Masters Degree from UFRGS. Daniela’s research interests include Rural Development, Agrarian issues in Brazil and Latin America, Solidarity Economy, Elements of the
Environmental Issue. Coming to AU as a PGAE Vising Scholar, she will develop her research on Rural Women in Latin America: social reproduction and ways of life.

Dr. Boakye-Yiadom is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Economics, University of Ghana. He has a PhD in Economics from the University of Bath, UK. Professor Boakye-Yiadom’s areas of research include the microeconomic analysis of migration, remittances, and poverty/wellbeing; gender dimension of asset ownership. Coming to AU as a PGAE Visiting Scholar, he will research the gender dimension of child fostering, especially in Ghana and other West African countries.

Lekha S. Chakraborty is a Professor at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), an autonomous research institute of the Ministry of Finance of India; and an affiliated Research Associate with the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College, New York. She was the pioneer economist who worked with the Chief Economic Advisor for institutionalising Gender Budgeting in India.She is the author of Fiscal Consolidation, Budget deficits and Macroeceonomy (Sage, 2016) and a co-author of Social Sector in Decentralised Economy: India in the Era of Globalisation (Cambridge University Press, 2016). Previously, Lekha has worked for the World Bank, the IMF, UN Women, and the Commonwealth Secretariat. She has taught as a Visiting Professor at Carleton University (Canada), Uppsala University (Sweden) and University of Utah.

As a PGAE Visiting Scholar, Lekha is advancing her empirical research investigating the integration of gender perspectives into fiscal and public policy making and was a featured speaker of the Spring 2019 Gender Seminar Series in AU. 

Lorelei C. Mendoza is a Professor of Economics at the University of the Philippines Baguio (UPB). She was a PGAE visiting scholar under the Fulbright Senior Scholars’ Program in the spring semester 2019. While at American University, she conducted her research on "Gender Norms and Schooling Outcomes among the Highlanders of the Cordillera Region in the Philippines during the American Colonial Period, 1904-1945” using archival materials and  documents at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. Before coming to American University,  Professor Mendoza served as Dean of the College of Social Sciences and Director of the Cordillera Studies Center at UP Baguio. Her areas of research include gender and household economics and natural resource management.

Otgontugs Banzragch (Otgo) is the Dean of Graduate School and Professor of Economics at the National University of Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. She has a Ph.D. in Education and Economics from Colombia University and a Master’s Degree in Economics from the University of Manchester. Her research focuses on development economics, education inequality, and rural development. She is a member of the Monetary Policy Board of the Central Bank of Mongolia; and a member of the Research Council for Social Science with the Ministry of Education and Science in Mongolia. Previously, she collaborated with the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) on the project Mobilizing Revenues from Extractive Industries: Protecting and Promoting Children’s Rights and Well-Being in Resource-Rich Countries, as part of the research team for Mongolia.

As a Visiting Scholar, Otgo developed the curriculum for a course Gender Analysis in Economics, to be offered as part of the masters program for Economics at the National University of Mongolia. She also began a project that aims to translate a textbook on the importance of gender analysis in economics into Mongolian language. Currently, Otgo is working on a joint research project with Professor Mieke Meurs and Amarjargal Amartuvshin (PGAE Visiting Scholar 2013) on bargaining in herding households.

Samanmala Dorabawila is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka. She has a Ph.D. in Economics from Clark University. Her research includes analyses of Sri Lankan’s labor market, care work, health economics, and development economics.

As a PGAE Visiting Scholar, Samanmala worked to develop curricula course on Gender Analysis in Macroeconomics and Gender Analysis in Microeconomics to be offered for students enrolled in Masters in Economics (MA)/M.Phil in Economics/Masters in Applied Economics and Masters in Development Practice, through the Post Graduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (PGIHS) at the University of Peradeniya.

Yady Marcela Barrero Amórtegui has a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of La Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia; and a Master’s Degree in Economics from the University of Antioquia in Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia. She has authored multiple research papers analyzing Colombia’s agricultural structures, including her doctoral research focusing on gender analysis and the sustainable use of natural resources.

As a PGAE Visiting Scholar, Yady developed a course curriculum on Gender Roles in the Economy, to be presented to the Department of Economics at the University of Antioquia in Medellín, where she will be joining as a Professor of Economics.

Dileni Gunewardena is Professor of Economics at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and has a Ph.D. in economics is from American University. Her research includes empirical analyses of poverty, child nutrition, and gender and ethnic wage inequality. She is the author of a book on Poverty Measurement, several chapters in books, and numerous journal articles. She contributed to Sri Lanka’s first poverty assessment as a consultant with the World Bank’s Development Economics Research Group in the 1990s and has taught in the World Bank Institute’s South Asia Region Workshops.

As a PGAE Visiting Scholar, Dileni produced a research paper, along with co-authors Elizabeth King (The Brookings Institution) and Alexandra Valerio (World Bank), on the gender differences in labor market returns to schooling and skills in middle income countries. Currently, she is also leading the efforts in establishing a Gender Analysis in Economics program at the Post Graduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (PGIHS) of the University of Peradeniya.

Ana María Tribín-Uribe is a Researcher at the Central Bank of Colombia – Banco de la Republica. She has a Ph.D. in Economics from Brown University and a Master’s Degree in Economics from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia). Her research focuses on gender economics, development economics, development, political economy, labor economics and behavioral economics. She is the author of several studies related to gender and economics, including her research examining the impact of Colombia’s maternity leave policy on female labor force participation.

As a PGAE Visiting Scholar, Ana María advanced her historical book project on women in Colombia and continues to work with Professors Maria Floro and Mieke Meurs in undertaking a project that aims to develop priority areas for lawmakers in developing public policies. Recently, Ana María was appointed the President’s High Commissioner for Women’s Equality in Colombia.

Nata Duvvury is Senior Lecturer and Co-Director at the Center for Global Women’s Studies and Leader of Gender and Public Policy Cluster in the Whitaker Institute at National University of Ireland, Galway. Dr. Nata Duvvury is an international development expert with more than 25 years of experience in gender, development and empowerment. Her work includes research and advocacy on gender based violence, women’s property rights and HIV and AIDS in a variety of settings including conflict and post-conflict contexts.  

Nata Duvvury visited as a PGAE Fulbright Scholar in 2014 to work on empirical measures of violence against women. Currently, Nata Duvvury is Principal Investigator of a 3-year project examining the economic and social costs of Violence against women and girls (VAWG) that involves surveys and interviews in Sudan, Pakistan and Ghana. Also serving on the Technical Advisory Group of the project is PGAE founding co-director Maria Floro.

Margarita Khegai is a Professor of Economics at the Tajikistan Russian-Tajik Slavic University.

Maigul was a PGAE Visiting Scholar from the Tajikistan Russian-Tajik Slavic University from 2011 – 2012, supported by the Core Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program. As a Visiting Scholar, Margarita investigated gender issues in Tajikistan’s labor market focusing on state policies, legal framework, civil society and traditions.