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The 10th South Asia Economic Policy Network Conference on Migration in South Asia

November 7-8, 2022

Kathmandu, Nepal

illustration of family migrating to urban area

The Office of the Chief Economist for the South Asia Region of the World Bank, in collaboration with the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS) and the Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice of the World Bank is pleased to announce the 10th South Asia Economic Policy Network conference on Migration in South Asia.

Internal and international economic migration, largely temporary in nature, is a major factor in the lives of the poor in South Asia, helping millions of households improve their lives by enabling large remittance inflows and insurance from local shocks, and through the contribution of return migrants to local economies. The act of migration entails potentially high returns but also considerable risks and costs. The COVID crisis has also brought to the fore several long-standing policy concerns related to economic migration in South Asia. Join our two days of hybrid sessions featuring paper presentations, a keynote lecture, policy and expert panel discussions, and a short presentation on the main findings of the World Bank¡¯s South Asia Economic Focus Fall 2022 | Coping with Shocks: Migration in South Asia.

  • Watch the replays of our two-day hybrid sessions featuring paper presentations, a keynote lecture, policy and expert panel discussions, and a short presentation on the main findings of the World Bank¡¯s South Asia Economic Focus Fall 2022 | Coping with Shocks: Migration in South Asia.

    You can watch all the conference replays by clicking on buttons below. 

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  • DAY 1 | Monday, November 7, 2022
    9:15 am - 5:00 pm (NPT)  

     

    09:15¨C09:50

    OPENING REMARKS

    Dr. Martin Raiser, Vice President, South Asia Region, World Bank

    Dr. Richard Howard, Director, ILO Nepal 

    Mr. Maha Prasad Adhikari, Governor, Nepal Rastra Bank 

     

    Welcome Remarks: Arun Joshi, Director, IIDS Center for Human Assets

    09:50¨C10:15

    OVERVIEW: MIGRATION IN SOUTH ASIA

    ? Dr. Siddharth Sharma, Lead Economist, South Asia Region, World Bank

    ? Dr. Jean Nahrae Lee, Senior Economist, South Asia Region, World bank

    10:15¨C11:25

    PANEL DISCUSSION: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES - MIGRATION AND SOUTH ASIA

    Dr. Imran Matin, Executive Director, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development

    Dr. Ganesh Gurung, Former Executive Chair of Policy Research Institute, Former Member of the National Planning Commission

    Dr. Bilesha Weeraratne, Research Fellow and Head of Migration and Urbanization Research, Institute of Policy Studies

    Mr. Prajwal Sharma, Head of Labour Mobility and Human Development Department, IOM Nepal

    Dr. Irudaya Rajan, Chair of the KNOMAD (The Global Knowledge Partnership on Migration and Development)

     

    Remarks: Mr. Hans Timmer, Chief Economist, South Asia Region, World Bank

    Moderator: Dr. Stefano Paternostro, Practice Manager, Social Protection and Jobs, South Asia Region, World Bank

     

    Open Discussion (Q&A)

    11:25¨C11:40

    TEA/COFFEE BREAK

    11:40¨C12:40

     

    SESSION 1: MIGRATION AND REMITTANCES

     

    PAPER I: The 2015 Earthquake in Nepal: Remittances as Risk-coping Mechanism | Author: Ms. Esther Maria Bartl

     

    PAPER II: Author: Dr. Bilesha Weeraratne

     

    Discussant: Dr. Prakash Kumar Shrestha, Executive Director, Economic Research Department, Nepal Rastra Bank

    Moderator: Ms. Xiao'ou Zhu, Consultant, South Asia Region, World Bank

     

    Open Discussion (Q&A)

    12:40¨C13:40

    LUNCH

    13:40¨C14:40

     

    SESSION 2: MIGRATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

     

    PAPER I: International Labor Migration and Economic Development: Evidence from Bangladesh Author: Dr. Mahreen Khan

     

    PAPER II: Author: Dr. Maheshwor Shrestha

     

    Discussant: Dr. Biswash Gauchan, Executive Director, IIDS 

    Moderator: Dr. Siddharth Sharma, Lead Economist, South Asia Region, World Bank

     

    Open Discussion (Q&A)

    14:40¨C15:40

     

    SESSION 3: IMPACT OF MIGRATION ON WOMEN AND CHILDREN

     

    PAPER I: Author: Dr. Leena Bhattacharya

     

    PAPER II:  | Author: Dr. Swati Sharma and Ms. Nikita Sangwan 

     

    Discussant: Ms. Neha Choudhary, ILO National Project Coordinator

    Moderator: Ms. Priti Shrestha, Gender and Social Inclusion Officer, UN Women

     

    Open Discussion (Q&A)

    15:40¨C15:55

    TEA/COFFEE BREAK

    15:55¨C16:55

     

    SESSION 4: TECHNOLOGY AND EMERGING MARKET ECONOMIES

     

    PAPER I:  | Author: Dr. Manoj Pant and Ms. Sugandha Huria

     

    PAPER II:  | Authors: Dr. Mani Nepal, Dr. Apsara Karki Nepal and Dr. Randall Bluffstone

     

    Discussant: Ms. Alice Joan Brooks, Senior Economist, World Bank 

    Moderator: Dr. Valerie Mercer-Blackman, Senior Economist, South Asia Region, World Bank

     

    Open Discussion (Q&A)

    16:55¨C17:00

    CLOSING DAY 1 

     

    DAY 2 | Tuesday, November 8, 2022
    8:30 am - 3:30 pm (NPT)  

     

    08:30¨C08:45

    OPENING REMARKS

    Day 1 Recap by Mr. Hans Timmer, Chief Economist, South Asia Region, World Bank

    Welcome Remarks: Arun Joshi, Director, IIDS Center for Human Assets

    08:45¨C09:30

    KEYNOTE SPEECH

    Speaker: Professor Mushfiq Mobarak, Yale University

       

    Open Discussion (Q&A)

    09:30¨C10:30

    SESSION 5: NON-TRADITIONAL THREATS AND WAGE SPILLOVER

    PAPER I:  Author: Dr. ?aglar ?zden, Dr. He Wang and Ms. Maggie Liu

     

    PAPER II:  | Author: Dr. Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay, Dr. Papiya Mazumdar, Dr. Sumit Mazumdar and Dr. Ajay Sharma

     

    Discussant: Dr. Nele Warrinnier, Economist, South Asia Region, World Bank

    Moderator: Dr. Syud Amer Ahmed, Lead Economist, World Bank 

     

    Open Discussion (Q&A)

    10:30¨C10:45TEA/COFFEE BREAK
    10:45¨C11:45

    SESSION 6: AGRICULTURE AND LIVELIHOODS SUPPLY CHAIN

    PAPER I:  Author: Dr. Kazi Iqbal, Mr. Md. Nahid Ferdous, Mr. Mohammad Rezoanul Hoque and Ms. Nahian Azad Shashi

     

    Discussant: Dr. Devendra Gauchan, Agricultural Economist, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, CGIAR

    Moderator: Dr. Jean Nahrae Lee, Senior Economist, South Asia Region, World Bank

     

    Open Discussion (Q&A)

    11:45¨C12:45LUNCH
    12:45¨C13:45

    SESSION 7: RETURNEE MIGRANTS AND DIASPORAS

    PAPER I:  | Authors: Dr. Syud Amer Ahmed and Ms. Esther Bartl

     

    PAPER II:  | Authors: Mr. Mohamed Munas and Dr. Gayathri Lokuge

     

    Discussant: Dr. Jeevan Baniya, Assistant Director, Centre for the Study of Labour and Mobility, Social Science Baha

    Moderator: Dr. Siddharth Sharma, Lead Economist, South Asia Region, World Bank

     

    Open Discussion (Q&A)

     

    13:45¨C14:00TEA/COFFEE BREAK
    14:00¨C15:00

    FIRESIDE CHAT: Rallying evidence for programs and policies

    ? Dr. Richard Howard, Director, ILO Nepal

    ? Ms. Nusrath Ghazzali , Deputy Chief of Mission, IOM, Bangladesh

    ? Dr. Syud Amer Ahmed, Lead Economist, South Asia Region, World Bank 

    ? Hon¡¯ble Dr. Ram Kumar Phuyal, National Planning Commission, Nepal

     

    Moderator: Dr. Swarnim Wagle, Chair, IIDS

     

    Open Discussion (Q&A)

    15:00¨C15:30

    CLOSING SESSION

    Mr. Rajeev Pokharel, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security

    Mr. Faris H. Hadad-Zervos, Country Director, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, South Asia, World Bank

  • Remarks

    Governor, Nepal Rastra Bank
    Male wearing Nepalese hat and suit

    Mr. Rajeev Pokharel

    Joint Secretary, Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security, Nepal

    Director, ILO Nepal

    Director, IIDS Center for Human Assets
    black blazer

    Martin Raiser

    VICE PRESIDENT, SOUTH ASIA REGION, WORLD BANK
    Male with grey hair and beard wearing blue blazer, white blouse and blue tie

    Faris H. Hadad-Zervos

    Country Director, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, South Asia, World Bank
    Male with grey hair and beard, wearing blue blazer and tie with light grey blouse

    Hans Timmer

    CHIEF ECONOMIST, SOUTH ASIA region, WORLD BANK

    Panelists

    Chair, IIDS

    Research Fellow and Head of Migration and Urbanization Research, Institute of Policy Studies

    Chair, The Global Knowledge Partnership on Migration and Development

    Executive Director, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development
    Female with brown short hair wearing blue blouse

    Nusrath Ghazzali

    Deputy Chief of Mission, IOM

    Member-National Planning Commission, Government of Nepal

    Former Executive Chair of Policy Research Institute, Former Member of the National Planning Commission

    Practice Manager, Social Protection and Jobs, South Asia Region, World Bank

    Lead Economist, Social Protection and Jobs, World Bank
    Male with brown hair wearing grey blazer and white blouse

    Prajwal Sharma

    Head of Labour Mobility and Human Development Department, IOM Nepal

    Discussants

    Economist, South Asia Region, World Bank

    Executive Director, Nepal Rastra Bank
    Female with long black hair, wearing black blazer and red patterned blouse

    Neha Choudhary

    National Project Coordinator, ILO

    Executive Director, IIDS
    Female with short yellow hair, wearing blue eye glasses and red blouse

    Alice Joan Brooks

    Senior Economist, World Bank

    Assistant Director, Centre for the Study of Labour and Mobility, Social Science Baha

    Agricultural Economist, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, CGIAR
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    Priti Shrestha

    Gender and Social Inclusion Officer, UN Women

    Presenters

    Professor, Yale University

    Senior Economist, South Asia Region, World Bank

    Lead Economist, South Asia Region, World Bank

    Moderators

    Television Presenter & Producer

    Senior Economist, South Asia Region, World Bank

    Consultant, South Asia Region, World Bank
  • DETAILS

    • Topic: Migration in South Asia
    • Day 1: Monday, Nov 7, 2022 (9:15 am - 5:00 pm NPT)
    • Day 2: Tuesday, Nov 8, 2022 (8:30 am - 3:30 pm NPT)
    • CONTACT: South Asia Chief Economist Office 
    • sarchiefeconomistoffice@worldbank.org