Speaking & public engagement
Bringing research into the conversation.
I regularly give keynotes and invited talks, contribute expert briefings, and join public discussions on economic development, technology, and the future of work.
My work reaches policymakers, business audiences, researchers, and the wider public. Recurring themes include Africa's economic transformation, AI and digital technology, industrial policy and investment, and decent work in global supply chains.
Recent public engagement
GIGA, Hamburg
Participant · Group research-policy roundtable
Development research in dialogue with Olaf Scholz and Inka Jörs
I joined GIGA colleagues in the economy, finances, and sanctions roundtable during an exchange on the South-North Commission on Development. The discussion covered AI, mining, supply chains, trade policy, and the post-2030 development agenda.
GIGA's account of the exchange →Hamburg Chamber of Commerce
Invited talk · Regionalkreis Afrika · Hosted by Euler Hermes
Africa between growth and fiscal pressure
Public finances, trade, and implications for German companies: a discussion of Africa's varied growth prospects, debt pressures, and economic opportunities.
My account of the talk → Organiser's account → Presentation slides (PDF) →Africa Urban Lab
Interview
Industrial parks and African industrialisation
A conversation about the Ethiopia research and its policy implications.
Watch the conversation →Business Diplomacy Today
Podcast guest
Africa's Economic Rise: Opportunities and Lessons for German Business
Economic diversity, technology, and the implications for international business.
Listen to the episode →Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Sustainable Global Supply Chains
Moderator · Report launch
Decent Work in Global Supply Chains
Moderation of the launch discussion for the annual report co-edited with Jann Lay.
More media & public writing
Further interviews, recordings, and articles.
Africa.Table
Background interview
Elections in Ethiopia: the contradictions in Abiy's policies
Read the interview →Africa.Table
VoxDev
Economics Unpacked
Special economic zones: why they succeed in some countries and fail in others
A public explanation of the evidence from Vietnam, alongside research from Indonesia.
Watch the conversation →Democracy in Africa
Article
The rise of Africa's tech sector: genuine development potential or inflated promise?
Read the article →VoxDev
Deutsche Welle
UNIDO Industrial Analytics Platform
Further talks & policy discussions
- February 2026 · Research presentation. “Industrial parks and local labour markets in Ethiopia,” with Alisha Weber, at the Industrial Policy for Africa Conference, Nairobi, hosted by the World Bank Institute, AERC, STEG, and IGC.
- January 2026 · Expert exchange. “The digital race for Africa,” with Nicolas Zippelius, as part of Leibniz im Bundestag.
- September 2023 · Invited speaker. “EU-AfriTech – Innovation und Entrepreneurship on and with the African Continent,” SPD event.
- September 2023 · Moderator. “Reforming the International Financial Architecture, Making Development Finance Sustainable – A German-African Perspective,” Ansprenger Symposium.
- April 2023 · Speaker. “Platforms and Online Workers in India and Africa: Challenges and Opportunities for Decent Work,” GIGA policy event.
- May 2023 · Expert exchange. Technology start-ups in Africa, with Knut Geschau and Till Mansmann, as part of Leibniz im Bundestag.
- June 2022 · Speaker. “Doing Business in Africa – Spotlighting Opportunities in the World’s Next Big Market,” Responsible Innovation Summit, University of Göttingen.
- May 2021 · Expert exchange. German direct investment in Africa, with Alois Gerig, as part of Leibniz im Bundestag.
- June 2019 · Expert exchange. Structural change in Africa, with Gabriele Hiller-Ohm, as part of Leibniz im Bundestag.