Maty Konte completed her thesis in 2012, obtaining the AMU award for Best PhD in Economics in 2013. She talked to us from Washington, where she now works as a Senior Economist within the Research Unit at the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CAREER TRAJECTORY SINCE YOUR TIME AT AMSE?
I did my PhD thesis between 2009 and 2012 under the supervision of Cecilia García Peñalosa and Emmanuel Flachaire. My thesis was on the role of institutions in the process of development. It included macroeconomic chapters on how different types of political and economic institutions affect growth, the relationship between natural resources and economic growth, and one chapter on the determinants of the gender gap in support for democracy in Africa. This chapter used individuallevel data to explore factors that may explain why women support democracy less than their male counterparts.
After my PhD defense, I received a grant from AMSE to go to the University of Washington in Seattle as a Guest Researcher for a few months. After that, I moved to Helsinki for a Consultant Research Scholar position at the United Nations University World Institute for Development and Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), a think tank that provides economic analysis and policy advice to the UN system. Before the end of 2013, I began work as a full time Research Fellow at the United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT). UNU-MERIT is the UN’s research and training institute on development. During my term at UNU-MERIT, I conducted research, taught at Maastricht University, and managed education and research programs and projects. I also provided technical assistance or advice to governments and think tanks in developed and developing countries, and to other international organizations such as the Word Bank. In addition, I occupied visiting positions at the University of Campinas in Brazil, Columbia University in the USA, and the University of Johannesburg in South Africa.
Besides my research and policy experience, I have been involved in entrepreneurship. In 2020, I founded an online platform named ISTP - Innovative and Sustainable Technology and Policy - which helps African farmers seeking solutions to address climate change and increase their productivity to connect with international businesses providing climate-smart technologies and with NGOs, private sector donors, and governments that can give financial support.
My own research focuses on the intersection between private sector development, aggregate productivity growth, and political economy. Crosscutting issues such as gender are also addressed in my research. My most recent publications have explored channels through which structural reforms affect aggregate labor productivity growth, how innovation and digitalization affect firms’ performance, and issues on the political economy of tax morale and compliance in Africa. Parts of my current research agenda cover topics related to technology adoption, trade finance, exchange rate regime, and productivity, and the interplay between public and private investment.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON CURRENTLY?
In 2022, I joined the International Finance Corporation (IFC) a member of the World Bank Group which focuses on the private sector in developing countries. I work within the Research Department, set up in 2022, doing research that can inform the World Bank Group on all operations encouraging the growth of the private sector in developing countries. As a Senior Economist, I manage and coordinate research projects and teams of economists and consultants. I am currently working on three projects: The cost of digital technology in Africa; Green building and Trade finance in the Mekong Region. To give you an example of my day-to-day activities, at the moment I’m responsible for collecting data from banks in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos to measure trade finance gaps and needs in these countries, and contribute to the final report that will be presented to policymakers and private sector actors. This is a joint project between IFC and the Word Trade Organization in Geneva.
Compared to an academic institute, I don’t have full independence and flexibility to choose my own research. Now, the priority is research topics requested by the top management, and then my own research comes in the second position. However, I do gain from the diversity of topics I cover. I’d never have thought I’d be working on some of the current topics which are new to me, so I’m learning a lot. I also like the fact that I can have an impact on operations and policies.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR TIME AT AMSE?
I gained a lot from my time at AMSE! First of all, I would highlight the technical aspect of the training, which is very important, especially if you want to work in research. The training is really thorough. The professors are highly skilled by any scientific standards. It is not a surprise that AMSE is rated one of the best economics research centers in France!
Secondly, I recall that the PhD program was quite progressive for its time. In 2009, AMSE had set up a sort of external committee to assess the PhD student and the thesis project. This allowed students to feel supported, as well as to discuss problems and obstacles to progress. In other research centres at the same time, students were receiving less support and were on their own throughout their thesis years.
I also remember the valuable financial support given to doctoral students. There were resources to enable PhD students to take part in international conferences, seminars and workshops. Personally, in the first year of my thesis, I had the opportunity to present the first chapter I was working on at various workshops. The PhD Program also allowed students to spend time in research units and universities around the world. Another important point is that PhD students at AMSE can benefit from the network of professors and researchers when they enter the job market.
And of course, I remember my thesis supervisors. I was extremely lucky to be supervised by Cecilia García Peñalosa and Emmanuel Flachaire. They greatly contributed to my love of research. They helped me to produce quality research work and they quickly made me understand the importance of publishing. By the time I defended my thesis, one of my papers had already been published and another was under review.
Last but not least, I remember AMSE as an inclusive place, with students from a wide range of nationalities. Back in 2009, AMSE was ahead of its time.
→ This article was issued in AMSE Newletter, Summer 2023.
