Jann Lay

Prof. Dr. Jann Lay is a Lead Research Fellow and Head of the Research Programme "Globalisation and Development" at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA). He has held this position since 2009, initially as Head of GIGA Research Programme 3 "Socio-Economic Development in the Context of Globalisation." Since 2015, he has also served as an Apl. Prof. (Extraordinary Professor) at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. Between October 2015 and October 2018, he acted as Director of the GIGA Institute of African Affairs.

His educational background includes:

• Doctoral Studies at Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany; Dr.rer.pol. (summa cum laude)
• Dissertation on 'Evaluating the Poverty and Distributional Impact of Economic Policies and External Shocks Combining Macro and Micro Approaches: Three Case Studies from Latin America'
• Master in Economics (Diplom-Volkswirt) at Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
• Undergraduate Studies at Otto-Friedrich-University, Bamberg, Germany
• Additional studies at University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain and University of California, Los Angeles, United States

Prof. Lay's research focuses on development economics, with particular emphasis on informal entrepreneurship in developing countries, structural change and its poverty and distributional implications, and the relationship between natural resources, economic development and conflict. His work primarily centers on Africa, where he has conducted extensive research on labor markets, economic policies, and development challenges. He has examined how digital technologies are tailored to local needs in Africa's emerging tech sector, the impact of global supply chains on decent work, and the effects of special economic zones on local labor markets in developing countries.

Prof. Lay's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on empirical research addressing key development challenges. His work spans labor economics, agricultural development, digital transformation, and environmental sustainability within the context of global value chains. A notable trend is his use of rigorous impact evaluation methods, including randomized controlled trials, to assess the effectiveness of development interventions. His research often addresses policy-relevant questions about formalization of employment, skills training, land acquisitions, and sustainable supply chains, with implications for development policy formulation.

His scientific contributions include:

• Membership in the Rat für nachhaltige Entwicklungspolitik der Stadt Hamburg (RANEP), 2018-2020
• Advisory board member of W3 - Werkstatt für internationale Kultur und Politik e.V. (W3), 2015-2022
• Membership in the Entwicklungsökonomischer Ausschuss, Verein für Socialpolitik, since 2010
• Membership in the International Association for Research in Income and Wealth (IARIW), since 2009

Prof. Lay has supervised doctoral researchers, including Tevin Tafese, with whom he has co-authored several publications on Africa's tech sector and sustainable supply chains. His research has been supported by various grants from organizations including the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Federal Foreign Office (FFO), the German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), and GIZ. Current projects include research on platforms and online workers in India and Africa, land-based investments in global supply chains, digital transformation for diplomacy, and the Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa.

Prof. Lay leads and contributes to several research teams and initiatives, including the Research Network Sustainable Global Supply Chains and the Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA) based at the University of Legon, Ghana. His work through the Digital Transformation Lab (DigiTraL) explores how digitalization creates new opportunities and challenges for foreign policy.