Emeritus Professor of Economics and Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford; 2025/26 Anniversary Fellow, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies
Sir Paul Collier’s work focuses on how poor places can catch up. He encourages them to see their distinctive features afresh: features often said to explain a place’s poverty can frequently be turned to advantage. Dubai is an example, where visionary leadership saw that its location could make it a travel hub and tourist destination.
His books include The Bottom Billion and, most recently, Left Behind: A New Economics for Neglected Places.
He is familiar with many Islamic countries, notably Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE (including Dubai), Bangladesh, Pakistan and Indonesia.
The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies created his Anniversary Fellowship to mark its 40th anniversary.
