13.30 -14:00

Registration and coffee

Introduction

Prof. Rym Ayadi, President Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA), Director of Euro-Mediterranean and African Network for Economic Studies (EMANES), Spain

Welcome speech

H.E. Dr. Raja Almarzoqi*, Chief Economic Advisor at Ministry of Economy and Planning – MEPsaudi and General Coordinator and the GCC Chief Negotiation at the The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf

Keynote speech

Riccardo Ricardo Hausmann*, Harvard Kennedy School

Academic session 1: Finance and Digitalization

Chair: Sandra Challita, emlyon Business School and EMEA

Paper 1.1: Financial well-being, bank de-branching and digital financial literacy: Insights from Italian provinces
Authors: Donatella Baiardi, Paola Bongini University of Milano-Bicocca, Doriana Cucinelli University of Parma and EMEA, Emanuela E. Rinaldi
Discussant: Sami Ben Jabeur, ESDES Business School

Paper 1.2: Digital Remittances and Home Countries Institutions
Author: Alex Hamed*, Christopher Newport University
Discussant: Serena Sandri*, German Jordanian University

Paper 1.3: Impact of Mobile Money on Energy Efficiency: Empirical Evidence From Firms in Kenya
Authors: Nancy Barakat Rodulf* Faculty of economics and political science Cairo University and Myriam Ramzy
Discussant: Yeganeh Forouheshfar, EMEA

This session explores the transformative potential of the WOW Platform, a pioneering digital solution designed to formalize and empower South Africa’s minibus taxi industry. Presented by leaders from ECTTC, FORUS Digital, and Ecentric Payment Systems, the session highlights the platform’s innovative features, including cashless payment systems, real-time tracking, and cooperative-driven management. Through a focus on scalability, replicability, and measurable socio-economic impact, the discussion will showcase how the WOW Platform addresses operational inefficiencies, fosters financial inclusion, and creates new revenue streams. This case study offers valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners on bridging the gap between informal sectors and formal economies across Africa, the Mediterranean, and Europe.

Speakers:

• Dr Nokuthula Mbebe, CEO – ECTTC
• Hassen Sheik, Director – Ecentric Payment Systems
• Sonny Fisher, Founder – FORUS Digital
• Mary Brennan, CEO – FORUS Digital
• George Jensen, Economist – FORUS Digital

Social activity: Christmas lights of Sant Pau

Keynote speech

H.E. Hala El Said*, Economic Advisor to the President, Arab Republic of Egypt, Former Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Arab Republic of Egypt, Former Chair of The Sovereign Fund of Egypt

Academic session 2: Sustainable Growth

Chair: Doriana Cucinelli, University of Parma and EMEA

Paper 2.1: Pathway to Sustainability: The Role of Eco-Innovation and Income Inequality in Green Growth
Authors: Pamela Efua Ofori*, University of Insubria
Discussant: Sandra Challita, emlyon Business School and EMEA

Paper 2.2: Towards Inclusivity: The Impact of Frontier Technology Adoption on Inclusive Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Isaac K. Ofori National University of Ireland Maynooth and Pamela E. Ofori University of Insubria
Discussant: Chahir Zaki, University of Orléans

Paper 2.3: Composite Recession Indicator for Precise Identification of Economic Recession
Authors: Francesco D’Angela, Bocconi University
Discussant: Paola Bongini, University of Milano-Bicocca

Academic session 3: Energy transition

Chair: Yeganeh Forouheshfar, EMEA

Paper 3.1: Artificial intelligence for environmental performance: the roles of energy transition and digital economy
Authors: Sana Slimani, Anis el Omri, Sami Ben Jabeur ESDES Lyon Business School
Discussant: Ivan Hajdukovic, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and EMEA

Paper 3.2: Determinants of energy and material resources productivity
Authors: Ivan Hajdukovic, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and EMEA
Discussant: Isaac K. Ofori, National University of Ireland Maynooth

Special session: Making sense of the five critical pillars: a manifesto for economics renaissance

Presentation of: Prof. Giovanni Ferri, LUMSA University
Discussants: Carlo Sessa, EMEA and Rym Ayadi, EMEA

Academic session 4: Labor Market and Digitalization

Chair: Najat El MekkaouiParis Dauphine University and EMEA

Paper 4.1: The Economic Effects of Crowdworking: A Comparative Analysis of Germany, Ukraine, and the United States
Authors: Lars Hornuf; Valeriia Khlopchyk TU Dresden
Discussant: Sara Ronco*, European University for Well Being

Paper 4.2: Unpaid care work, job digitalization and labour market outcomes of women in MENA
Authors: Vladimir Hlasny* UN ESCWA, Irene Selwaness and Shireen AlAzzawi
Discussant: Racha Ramadan*, Faculty of Economics and Political Science (FEPS), Cairo University

Paper 4.3: Digital Transformation and Sustainable Development: The Role of Entrepreneurship and Sustaining Economic Competitiveness
Authors: A. Mohamed Mahmoud Fathalla*; Dr. Nesma Mohamed Rawhy*; Dr. Fatma El-Zahraa Ghazy* Faculty of commerce economic department Zagazig university
Discussant: Marwa Biltagy*, Faculty of Economics and Political Science (FEPS), Cairo University

Policy Session: Digitalization Skills and the Future of Labor Market in Europe, Mediterranean, and Africa: Prospects for Mobility

Description

Moderator: Cinzia Al Cidi, Centre for European Policy Studies
Panelists:
– Charles Crevier, Manager, Social Protection, Governance and Tripartism, International Training Centre of the ILO
– Ekkehard Ernest, President and Co-founder Geneva Macro Labs
– Jorge Miguel Bravo, Universidade Nova de Lisboa & Université Paris-Dauphine PSL and BRU-ISCTE
– Ummuhan Bardak, Senior Human capital development expert, ETF
– Hon. Nikolla Camaj, Representative of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranea
– Inès Duarte, Union for the Mediterranean

Academic session 5: Financial Inclusion

Chair: Carlo Sessa

Paper 5.1: Financial Inclusion, Gender Equity and Digitisation in MENA Countries prior and during the Pandemic
Authors: Imène Berguiga and Philippe Adair University Paris-Est Créteil
Discussant: Mais Sha’ban*, Al Zaytoonah University and EMEA

Paper 5.2: Financial Inclusion Impact on Financial Resilience to the COVID-19 Pandemic Induced Shock: A Methods of Moments Quantile Regression Approach
Authors: Kudakwashe Joshua Chipunza*, Stellenbosch University
Discussant: Rania Makni*, IHEC Carthage

Paper 5.3: The Gender Divide in Digital Financial Inclusion: Lessons from Palestine
Authors: Rabeh Morrar*, Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute-MAS
Discussant: Kudakwashe Joshua Chipunza*, Stellenbosch University

11:00- 11:45

Policy Keynote:

Andrea Renda*, Center for European Policy Studies

11:45- 12:30

Case Study Session: The impact of AI in EDTech: The era of objective knowledge – the ICARUS way

Artificial Intelligence and Education
Nektar Baziotis, AI Officer of EMEA & CEO of ICARUS AI Inc.

Academic session 6: Trade and Global Value Chains

Chair: Raul Ramos, University of Barcelona

Paper 6.1: Environmental Stringency and Firms’ Participation in Global Value Chains: Evidence for MENA countries
Authors: Nada Hazem and Chahir Zaki, University of Orléans
Discussant: Giorgia Giovannetti*, University of Firenze

Paper 6.2: Does Starting Up Informal Affect the Adoption of Foreign Technology in the Emerging Economies?
Authors: Dina Dardir* Faculty of Economics and Political Science Cairo University and Boris Najman
Discussant: Philippe Adair, University Paris-Est Créteil

Paper 6.3: On Trade Agreements and GVCs: Do MSME Provisions Matter?
Authors: Yasmine Eissa The American University in Cairo and Chahir Zaki University of Orléans
Discussant: Najat El Mekkaoui, Paris Dauphine University and EMEA

15:00- 15:30

Guest Session: Research on Neuro-Science and AI

Augustin Ibanez, Global Brain Health Institute

Concluding Remarks and Announcement of the Best Paper Award

Dr. Cinzia Alcidi, Director of Research, Head of the Economic Policy Unit at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Belgium

Prof. Rym Ayadi, President Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA), Director of Euro-Mediterranean African Network for Economic Studies (EMANES), Spain