Tijan Bah, Resident Fellow of the Navarra Center for International Development (NCID) at the University of Navarra, has been selected in the World Bank's Young Professionals Program to work at the Bank's headquarters in Washington for the next five years. This is a very competitive program that each year selects 50 candidates from all over the world. This year, 6,000 applicants applied.

Bah, a native of Gambia, holds a European PhD in Economics 'Erasmus Mundus' from the Nova School of Business and Economics at the University of Lisbon (Portugal) and the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne (France). He joined the Institute Culture and Society (ICS) -center to which NCID belongs- at the end of 2020.

He explains that his origin, training and experience at this center have been decisive. "Coming from sub-Saharan Africa, having done my PhD in Economics in Lisbon and Paris and having worked on development issues at the University of Navarra has contributed to the World Bank choosing me among so many candidates," he has assured.

Research on irregular migration from Africa

Within the World Bank, the young economist will work in the Gender and Human Development unit, where he will be able to continue with the research he has carried out at NCID on irregular migration from Africa. He wishes to continue working on high-impact development issues. "At the University of Navarra I have been able to continue with the projects I started in Lisbon and start new ones on the influence of cell phone applications on migrant remittances," he said. 

The researcher has explained that his greatest motivation is to help people living in poor environments such as those he has met in his country of origin. "I hope to reach some position at the World Bank that will allow me to make decisions that will improve the lives of people anywhere in the world. I am privileged to have an academic career and now my dream is to help people living in poverty with my research," he concluded.