Prof Jomo K. Sundaram PhD

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Jomo Kwame Sundaram is Research Advisor at Khazanah Research Institute, Fellow of the Academy of Science, Malaysia, Visiting Fellow at the Initiative for Policy Dialogue, Columbia University, and Adjunct Professor at the International Islamic University in Malaysia.

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He was a member of the Economic Action Council, chaired by the Malaysian Prime Minister, and the 5-member Council of Eminent Persons appointed by him (May-August 2018). He was Assistant Director General and Coordinator for Economic and Social Development (ADG-ES), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations from August 2012 until December 2015. He was Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development in the United Nations’ Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) from January 2005 until June 2012, and (Honorary) Research Coordinator for the G24 Intergovernmental Group on International Monetary Affairs and Development from December 2006 until September 2012. 

In 2007, he was awarded the Wassily Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought. He has authored and edited over a hundred books and translated ten volumes besides writing many academic papers and articles for the media. 

Jomo held the Tun Hussein Onn Chair in International Studies at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Malaysia, during 2016-2017, was Professor in the Applied Economics Department, Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya until November 2004, Founder Director (1978-2004) of the Institute of Social Analysis (INSAN) and Founder Chair (2001-2004) of IDEAs, International Development Economics Associates (www.ideaswebsite.org); he now chairs its Advisory Panel. He was also on the Board of the United Nations Research Institute on Social Development (UNRISD), Geneva. He serves on the editorial boards of several learned journals.

During 2010-2012, he was G20 sherpa to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and also UN G20 Finance Deputy during 2011-2012. During 2008-2009, Jomo served as adviser to Father Miguel d’Escoto, the President of the 63rd United Nations General Assembly, and as a member of the [Stiglitz] Commission of Experts of the President of the United Nations General Assembly on Reforms of the International Monetary and Financial System. 

Born in Penang, Malaysia, in 1952, Jomo studied at the Penang Free School (PFS, 1964-1966), Royal Military College (RMC, 1967-1970), Yale (1970-1973) and Harvard (1973-1977). He has taught at Science University of Malaysia (USM, 1974), Harvard (1974-1975), Yale (1977), National University of Malaysia (UKM, 1977-1982), University of Malaya (1982-2004), and Cornell (1993). He has also been a Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University (1987-1988; 1991-1992) and a Senior Research Fellow at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore (2004).

Some of his most cited book publications include Rents, Rent-Seeking and Economic Development: Theory and the Asian Evidence, Tigers in Trouble: Financial Governance, Liberalisation and Crises in East Asia, Globalization Versus Development: Heterodox Perspectives, Southeast Asia's Industrialization, Southeast Asian Paper Tigers? Behind Miracle and Debacle, Manufacturing Competitiveness: How Internationally Competitive National Firms and Industries Developed in East Asia, Ethnic Business? Chinese Capitalism in Southeast Asia, After The Storm: Crisis, Recovery and Sustaining Development in East Asia, The Origins of Development Economics, Pioneers of Development Economics, The New Development Economics, the two volumes of The Long Twentieth Century -- Globalization Under Hegemony: The Changing World Economy and The Great Divergence: Hegemony, Uneven Development and Global Inequality, Policy Matters: Economic And Social Policies To Sustain Equitable Development, Flat World, Big Gaps: Economic Liberalization, Globalization, Poverty and Inequality, Growth Divergences: Explaining Differences in Economic Performance, Towards Full and Decent Employment, Reforming the International Financial System for Development, Poor Poverty: The Impoverishment of Analysis, Measurement and Policies, Is Good Governance Good for Development?, Globalization and Development in Sub-Saharan Africa and Ending Malnutrition: From Commitment to Action.

Some of his more widely read titles on Malaysia include Malaysia’s Political Economy, Malaysian Eclipse: Economic Crisis and Recovery, Ugly Malaysians? South-South Investments Abused, Deforesting Malaysia: The Political Economy of Agricultural Expansion and Commercial Logging, M Way: Mahathir’s Economic Policy Legacy, Bail-Outs? Capital Controls, Restructuring & Recovery in Malaysia,Malaysian Industrial Policy and Malaysia@50: Development, Distribution, Disparities.

He is married to Felice Noelle Mallillin Rodriguez and has three children, Nadia (born 1987), Emil (born 1989) and Leal (born 1990).