Kemal Derviş

Kemal Derviş was a nonresident distinguished fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings. He was vice president and director of the program from April 2009 to November 2017. Formerly head of the United Nations Development Program and minister of economic affairs of Turkey, he focuses on global economics, emerging markets, European issues, development, climate, and international institutions.

In 2001-2002, as minister of economic affairs and the treasury of Turkey, Derviş was responsible for launching Turkey’s successful recovery program after the devasting crisis that hit the country. After the crisis was overcome, Derviş was elected to the Turkish Parliament and was a member of the Convention for the European Constitution from 2003-2004.

Prior to his tenure as minister of economic affairs, Derviş had a 22-year career at the World Bank, where he became vice president for the Middle East and North Africa and later vice president for poverty reduction and economic management. At the World Bank, Derviş notably coordinated the World Bank’s support to the peace and reconstruction period in Bosnia and the World Bank’s global programs and policies to fight poverty.

Derviş earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in economics from the London School of Economics, and his Ph.D. from Princeton University. Derviş taught economics at the Middle East Technical University in 1974, Princeton University in the 1970s, and Columbia University from 2009-2015.

Derviş has published several books and many articles in academic journals as well as current affairs publications. He has contributed a monthly column  to Project Syndicate, which they publish in several languages and which was also published as a Brookings blog. A collection of these articles has been published by the Brookings Press entitled “Reflections on Progress: Essays on the Global Political Economy.”

Derviş was a senior advisor at the Istanbul Policy Center and continues to be a member of some advisory boards.