Stephan Klasen, Global & European Development Network (GDN & EUDN)

Prof.  Stephan Klasen, PhD (Harvard University & honorary doctor 
of the  University Jaume I, Valencia) and his importance
 for the international economic networks (GDN und EUDN)

     In 2003 Stephan Klasen came to the University of Göttingen and transformed the Chair of Development Economics (DE) from a small unit with relatively low output (in terms of international publications and research grants) into a huge, dynamic chair with extremely high output and high visibility:

• The number of lectures, tutorials and seminars in DE blossomed
• Extra-financing for PhD students became possible through projects for the World Bank, regional development banks, the United Nations, the German ministry for International Cooperation and Development (BMZ) + UK and Dutch sisters.
• Scholarships for students from developing countries (through the EPOS program of the DAAD) were provided.
• A master program in ‘development economics’ established in 2011 attracting students from Germany, Europe and all over the world
• Several DFG-research groups for PhD students were set up. (e.g. for ‘Globalization and Development’, for ‘Global Food’)
• The Courant Center for ‘Poverty, Inequality and Growth in Developing Countries’ was established at the University of Göttingen.

Stephan Klasen became one of the most respected development economists not only in Germany but also in Europe. In 2015 he was elected President of the European Development Research Network (EUDN) which combines the most influential development economists in Europe. He is member of the UN Committee on Development Policy. In this position he is the German voice that gives advice on the international development policy and helps to plan the development policy for the future. He also became coordinating lead author in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an organ that compiles the research on climate change and warns about the consequences of climate change.

In addition to his work for the chair Klasen s director of the Ibero-America Institute for Economic Research and active member of the Arnoldshain network which combines researches from Europe (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and UK) with researchers from Latin America (mainly from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay).  Klasen has numerous publications (see his CV) and is involved in numerous research projects
(see his CV).

Intentions and actions

As is usual in philosophy, Klasen demonstrated the direction of his thoughts and actions by means of a thought game: While a physically disabled person is forced to spend part of the resources that were distributed equally in the original state - such as income or assets - for his special needs, the "healthy" person can increase his wealth in peace. In the end, the disabled person will own less. The economist Amarty Sen generalises the example: because people are different, they have different needs, for the satisfaction of which they need different resources. You just have to look carefully - and want to see the knife stuck in your back.

Wie in der Philosophie üblich, demonstrierte Klasen die Zielrichtung seines Denkens und Handelns, anhand eines Gedankenspiels: Während ein körperlich Invalider gezwungen ist, einen Teil der im Urzustand gleich verteilten Ressourcen – etwa Einkommen oder Vermögen – für seine besonderen Bedürfnisse aufzuwenden, kann die «gesunde» Person in Ruhe ihren Wohlstand mehren. Am Ende wird der Invalide weniger besitzen.
Der Wirtschaftswissenschaftler Amartya Sen verallgemeinert das Beispiel: Da die Menschen verschieden sind, verfügen sie über unterschiedliche Bedürfnisse, für deren Befriedigung sie verschiedene Ressourcen benötigen. Man muss eben genau hinschauen – und das im Rücken steckende Messer sehen wollen.

 Global & European Development Network - additional informations

In December 1999, the World Bank organized a conference in Bonn to launch the 
Global Development Network (GDN). About 600 researchers, policy-makers, and representatives from more than 300 organizations from 111 countries worldwide participated in the conference and had the opportunity to exchange ideas, network, share experiences and thoughts about development issues. At the closing of the First GDN-Conference, the President of the Federal Republic of Germany invited initiatives to establish GDN-activities in Bonn.As a follow-up of the First GDN conference in Bonn, the State of North-Rhine Westphalia pledged support for a project that would facilitate the establishment of a European hub of the GDN in Bonn. At the same time, Joachim von Braun from the Center for Development Research (ZEF) was asked by staff of the EU Commission and by the World Bank to take steps to facilitate the establishment of a European hub. After extensive consultations, ZEF took the initiative and submitted a proposal to the State of North-Rhine Westphalia which was then approved.

As one of the first project activities, ZEF organized, upon invitation by Joachim von Braun, ZEF, and Lyn Squire, director of GND, a small academic Roundtable for European development economists on 15 September, 2000 in Bonn. The objective of the workshop was to bring together a group of reputable European development economists to brainstorm about the idea of forming the European hub of GDN. As an outcome of the Roundtable, there was common understanding within the group that (i) there is need for a formalized development network within Europe, and (ii) that GDN may offer a good ground and functions as a facilitator for the establishment of such a globally linked network. The results of the meeting were summarized in a first proposal for submission to different donors.

Thereafter, the group was formalized by confidential elections of the Executive Committee, and by-laws of the EUDN have been developed. The core of the network initially consisted of 17 development economists, most of whom are embedded in a multidisciplinary environment at their home institutes. Further disciplines were included at a later stage.

The official announcement about the new European network was made at the Second Annual GDN Conference in Tokyo in December 2000. While in Tokyo, it was also decided at the first meeting of the Executive Committee

• to call the new European hub the European Development Research Network -  
  in short EUDN and
• to expand the network by carefully enlarging the group of 17 development economists.

In the following years, three round of nominations and elections of new members took place. In June 2001, the network was expanded by 13 new members; in December 2002, 17 new members followed, and in April 2004, another 7 members joined. In September 2006, 13 full members and 4 associate members have been accepted. Allowing for withdrawals of a few members, total membership is now equal to 84 full members and 33 associate members (2017).

Prof. Dr. Eckhard Freyer, Bonn