Registration and coffee

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

Prof. Nada Eissa, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics at Georgetown University, Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, Policy Advisor to the International Growth Centre State Fragility Initiative, United Stated

Chair: Jorge Bravo, NOVA IMS Universidade Nova de Lisboa & Université Paris-Dauphine PSL & MagIC & ISCTEIUL BRU & CEFAGE-UE

Paper 1.1: Data Science for Justice: Evidence from a Randomized Judicial Reform in Kenya
Authors: Matthieu Chemin, (McGill University) Daniel L. Chen (DE JURE The World Bank, CNRS and Toulouse School of Economics), Vincenzo Di Maro (Planning and Organizational Performance Directorate, Judiciary of Kenya), Paul Kimalu (DIME World Bank) Momanyi Mokaya (DIME World Bank), Manuel Ramos-Maqueda (DIME World Bank and McGill University)
Discussant: Yeganeh Forouheshfar, EMEA, Spain

Paper 1.2: Policy mix dynamics of manufacturers’ R&D investment and government regulations as drivers of just transitions within socio-technical systems
Author: Wissam El Hachem*, EmLyon Business School, France
Discussant: Chahir Zaki, Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo, Egypt

Paper 1.3: GVC-driven Innovation: Does Sectoral Heterogeneity Matter?
Authors: Yasmine Eissa* and Chahir Zaki, Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo, Egypt
Discussant: Sara Ronco, EMEA, Spain

Chair: Chahir Zaki, Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo, Egypt

Paper 2.1: Occupational Segregation and Gender Pay Gap: Evidence from Ethiopia
Authors: Fenet Jima Bedaso*, Trier University and IAAEU, Germany
Discussant: Philippe Adair, Emeritus Prof., University Paris-Est Créteil, France

Paper 2.2: Fostering Decent Jobs in MENA Countries: Segmented Employment, Formalising Informality and the Role of the Social Economy
Author: Philippe Adair (University Paris-Est Créteil, France) and Vladimir Hlasny (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia)
Discussant: Jacques Charmes*, Institute of Research for Development, France

Paper 2.3: Youths’ Employment Vulnerability amidst a Lingering Crisis: Evidence from the Middle East
Authors: Shireen AlAzzawi* (Santa Clara University, Santa Clara CA, USA) and Vladimir Hlasny *(United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia)
Discussant: Fenet Jima Bedaso*, Trier University and IAAEU, Germany

Chair: Raja Almarzoqi, Chief Economic Advisor at Ministry of Economy and Planning, Saudi Arabia

Paper 3.1: Financial Inclusion and Barriers to Funding Female Entrepreneurs in MENA Countries Prior and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Imène Berguiga*, (University of Sousse, Tunisia) and Philippe Adair (University Paris-Est Créteil, France)
Discussant: Serena Sandri*, German Jordanian University, Jordan

Paper 3.2: Does Financial Credit Really Improve Household Welfare? A Causal Empirical Evidence from a Mid-low Income Country
Author: Emmanuel O. James* (Department of Economics, Nottingham Trent University, UK), Dimitrios Bakas, Piers Thompson, John Ebireri (Central Bank of Nigeria)
Discussant: Doriana Cucinelli, University of Parma, Italy and EMEA

Paper 3.3: Digital and traditional financial inclusion indices: Determinants and trends
Authors: Rym Ayadi, Mais Sha’ban, Yeganeh Forouheshfar, Sandra Challita and Serena Sandri, EMEA, Spain
Discussant: Kudakwashe Chipunza*, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa

Chair: Sandra Challita, EMEA and ESDES Lyon

Paper 4.1: The Role of Financial Inclusion in Building Resilience to The Covid-19-Induced Income Shock in South Africa
Authors: Kudakwashe Chipunza*, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
Discussant: Imène Berguiga*, University of Sousse, Tunisia

Paper 4.2: Financial Inclusion and Women Economic Empowerment in Ghana
Author: Barbara Ama Zelu, Universitat Rovira i Virgili and ECO-SOS, Spain
Discussant: Racha Ramadan*, Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo, Egypt

Paper 4.3: Risk Spillover Network Connectedness between infrastructure & other asset classes: the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Michaela Eklunda, Adrijana Omanovica, Yarema Okhrinb, Gazi Salah Uddin*, (Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping University, Sweden, and Cambridge Centre for Economic and Public Policy (CCEPP), University of Cambridge)
Discussant: Sami Ben Jabeur*, ESDES Lyon Business School, France

Speaker: Rym Ayadi, President Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA), Director, Euro-Mediterranean and African Network for Economic Studies (EMANES), Spain
Discussants: Enrique De Villamore, Director of MedWaves, Spain
Salvador Simon Algado*, Co-Director of the Mental Health Chair at UVic-UC, Spain
Carlo Sessa*, EMEA, Spain

Chair: Carlo Sessa*, EMEA, Spain

Paper 5.1: Impact of renewable energy investment on carbon emissions
Author: Hayfa Elkadhi Karouiab*, (LEFA, IHEC, University of Carthage, Tunis, Tunisia and CERDI, CNRS University Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand,France) Rim Ben Ayed Mouelhi (LEFA, IHEC, University of Carthage, Tunis, Tunisia ISCAE, University of Manouba, Tunisia)
Discussant: Cynthia Echave, EMEA

Paper 5.2: The causal relationship between renewable energy production and CO2 emissions in 27 OECD countries in the period 1965-2020: A panel ARDL and Granger causality approach
Authors: Gaetano Perone*, Department of Economics and Management, University of Pisa, Italy
Discussant: Ivan Hajdukovic, EMEA

Chair : Najat El Mekkaoui, University Paris Dauphine-PSL, LEDa DIAL

Paper 6.1: Gender wage gap in the Tunisian labor market: An econometric analysis
Authors: Mehdi Ben Braham* & Ameni Abid*, ESSEC de Tunis, LEGI Ecole Polytechnique de Tunisie
Discussant: Marwa Biltagi*, Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo, Egypt

Paper 6.2: Releasing Home Equity to Pay for Long TermCare: A Novel Leave-to-Let and Mortgage Equity Release Scheme
Authors: Jorge Bravo (NOVA IMS Universidade Nova de Lisboa & Université Paris-Dauphine PSL & MagIC & ISCTEIUL and Najat El Mekkaoui (University Paris Dauphine-PSL, LEDa DIAL)
Discussant: Sandra Challita, EMEA and Esdes Lyon Business School, France

Amidst the war in Ukraine and after the Covid-19 global pandemic, calls building a more resilient, sustainable, inclusive and equal world are increasing. The EMEA-EMANES research published during the last two years shows that countries that have built a resilient system via macro, fiscal, financial and social buffers, could better respond to the pandemic and rebound.
The current Russian Ukrainian conflict is aggravating socio-economic vulnerabilities in the Mediterranean and in Africa with increasing pressure on energy and food prices.
Several pillars, including social inclusion, social protection and safety nets offer economic policy answers for better resilience. In addition, Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) in the Mediterranean and in Africa, are crucial for job creation and social. In these countries there is however evidence that safety net systems are either not developed or inexistent.
EMANES policy session is dedicated to the debate on the policies that will have to support social inclusion, social protection and safety nets in the Mediterranean region and Africa.

Moderator: Cinzia Alcidi*, Director of Research at CEPS, Brussels
• Yeganeh Forouheshfar, Researcher at EMEA
• Najat El Mekkaoui, Professor at University Paris Dauphine-PSL, LEDa DIAL
• Aboubaker Benslimane, Entrepreneur in the heatlh management business & agribusiness
• Tarik Yousef*, Director of the Middle East Council on Global Affairs and nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution
• Raja Almarzoqi, Chief Economic Advisor at Ministry of Economy and Planning, Saudi Arabia

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, Euro-Mediterranean African Network for Economic Studies (EMANES), Spain