Personal profile
Research interests
Ragui Assaad, professor, researches education, labor policy, and labor market analysis in developing countries with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa. His current work focuses on inequality of opportunity in education, labor markets, transitions from school-to-work, employment and unemployment dynamics, family formation, informality, labor market responses to economic shocks, international migration, including the effects of forced migration.
Personal profile
Ragui Assaad is a Research Fellow of the Economic Research Forum in Cairo, Egypt and serves on its board of trustees. He is also Research Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn, Germany. He served as Regional Director for West Asia and North Africa for the Population Council, based in Cairo, Egypt, from 2005 to 2008.
Assaad has served as a consultant to the World Bank, the International Labor Organization, the Ford Foundation, UNICEF and UNDP.
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, City & Regional Planning, Cornell University
… → 1991
BS, Physics, Stanford University
… → 1981
MS, Mechanical Engineering
… → 1981
Research Interest Keywords
- education
- labor policy
- labor market analysis
- Middle East
- North Africa
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 1 No Poverty -
SDG 2 Zero Hunger -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 5 Gender Equality -
SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions -
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Integrated Global Data on Child Health and Development
Boyle, E. H. (PI), Assaad, R. A. (CoI), Grace, K. L. (CoI), King, M. L. (CoI), Krafft, C. G. (CoI), Levison, D. (CoI) & Bolgrien, A. L. (Co-Principal Investigator)
NIH NATL INST OF CHILD HEALTH/HUMAN DEV
9/12/25 → 5/31/30
Project: Research project
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IIE Hubert H Humphrey Fellowship Program 2025-2026
Wilsey, D. (PI), Assaad, R. A. (Other Role), Gomez, M. A. (Other Role), Kelley, S. (Other Role), Opara, E. R. (Other Role) & Schwartz, E. P. (Other Role)
INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE (USDS)
7/1/25 → 6/30/26
Project: Research project
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Integrated International Microdata Series
Ruggles, S. (PI), Boyle, E. H. (CoI), Grace, K. L. (CoI), King, M. L. (CoI), Lovaton Davila, R. (CoI), Sarkar, S. (CoI), Sobek, M. (CoI), Assaad, R. A. (Co-Principal Investigator), Cleveland, L. L. (Co-Principal Investigator), Levison, D. (Co-Principal Investigator) & Manson, S. M. (Co-Principal Investigator)
THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
9/1/24 → 8/31/29
Project: Research project
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Microdata for Research on Aging in the Global South
Ruggles, S. (PI), Assaad, R. A. (CoI), Boyle, E. H. (CoI), Flood, S. M. (CoI), Grace, K. L. (CoI), Levison, D. (CoI), Cleveland, L. L. (Co-Principal Investigator) & Sobek, M. (Co-Principal Investigator)
NIH NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING
8/1/24 → 7/31/29
Project: Research project
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Creation and revision of the JLMPS questionnaire andsample design
Krafft, C. G. (PI) & Assaad, R. A. (Co-Principal Investigator)
6/25/24 → 12/31/26
Project: Research project
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Wage returns to human capital resulting from an extra year of primary school: Evidence from Egypt
Assaad, R., Aydemir, A. B., Dayıoğlu, M. & Kırdar, M. G., Apr 2026, In: Economics of Education Review. 111, 102760.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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How Do Gender Norms Shape Education and Domestic Work Outcomes? The Case of Syrian Refugee Adolescents in Jordan
Krafft, C., Assaad, R. & Pastoor, I., 2024, In: Journal of Development Studies. 60, 12, p. 1964-1993 30 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access4 Link opens in a new tab Scopus citations -
How do small formal and informal firms in Egypt compare? An analysis of firm characteristics and implications for formalization efforts
Krafft, C., Assaad, R., Rahman, K. W. & Cumanzala, M., Aug 2024, In: Review of Development Economics. 28, 3, p. 1292-1315 24 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access1 Link opens in a new tab Scopus citations -
Introducing the Sudan Labor Market Panel Survey 2022
Krafft, C., Assaad, R. & Cheung, R., Jul 2024, In: Demographic Research. 51, p. 81-106 26 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Womens access to school, educational attainment, and fertility: Evidence from Jordan
Zhang, H. & Assaad, R., Sep 2024, In: Journal of Development Economics. 170, 103291.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access3 Link opens in a new tab Scopus citations