Connect with us
Visiting Fellow
Douglas Zhihua Zeng (曾智华) is currently a senior economist at the Financial and Private Sector Development Department of the Africa Region, World Bank, and has worked on many countries in East Asia and Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe and Central Asia. His areas of expertise include macroeconomics, innovation, special economic zones, clusters, competitiveness, skills, and knowledge economy. Recent books (including those co-authored) include Building Engines for Growth and Competitiveness in China: Experience with Special Economic Zones and Industrial Clusters; Knowledge, Technology, and Cluster-Based Growth in Africa; Promoting Enterprise-Led Innovation in China; Innovation for Development and the Role of Government; and Enhancing China’s Competitiveness through Lifelong Learning, among others. Prior to joining the World Bank, he worked at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (Economist) and Stanford University (Ford Foundation Scholar).
On Friday, September 20th, the Honduran Supreme Court declared that ZEDEs are unconstitutional. Notably, this decision applies retroactively, which is an exceptionally odd outcome. ZEDEs or Zones for Employment and Economic Development were a type of special jurisdiction that devolved substantial autonomy to municipalities created
The global urban landscape is undergoing an unprecedented transformation. In almost every country on Earth, comprehensive master-planned cities are being built “from scratch.” These “new cities” are developed for hundreds of thousands to millions of residents, and they reflect a tremendous scale of ambition, coordination,
In 1960, the per capita GDP of East Asia exceeded that of Sub-Saharan Africa for the first time. That year, the average person in both regions made approximately $1,100 (in 2010 dollars); today, the average East Asian makes 11 times that, but the average Sub-Saharan
Are all acronyms sinister? Are some acronyms more sinister than others? The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) needs no introduction and its protégé Tiktok is currently under global investigation. The Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) was a less successful cousin of the CCP but had its
This policy brief examines the long-term impact of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Tanzania, focusing on their role in fostering sustainable economic growth. Building on a previous brief that assessed the immediate economic effects of SEZs, this analysis delves into the potential for SEZs to
Each month, the CCI team selects a new book to read and discuss together. Our book club selections cover a wide range of topics that are relevant to charter cities, but they are most often related to development, urban issues, and governance. In this ongoing
Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest updates and our published research papers delivered right to your inbox.
The Charter Cities Institute is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to empowering new cities with better governance to lift tens of millions of people out of poverty.
© 2024 Charter Cities Institute. All rights reserved.