Faculty & Staff Member Profile

Dr. Fida Karam is Associate Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics and Finance, Gulf University of Science and Technology (GUST), and a Research Fellow at the Economic Research Forum (ERF). Her research focuses on international trade and trade policy in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, international and internal migration, computable general equilibrium models and microfinance. Dr. Karam received a master’s degree in International/Development Economics from Paris School of Economics – University of Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne in 2005, and completed a PhD in Economics with high distinction at the same school in 2009. Upon completing her PhD, she was appointed Assistant Professor of Economics at GUST in September 2009. She served as the coordinator of the Economics program from 2012 to 2014, and as the head of the Economics and Finance department from January 2014 to August 2017. Dr. Karam has received numerous awards and grants, such as the “Best Paper Award” in multiple conferences, and grants from multiple bodies like the French embassy in Lebanon, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in France, the African Development Bank and the International Food Policy Research Institute. Driven by a commitment to making a meaningful impact, Dr. Karam seeks, with each research endeavor, to bridge the gap between theory and practice, shedding light on the transformative potential of strategic trade policies in enhancing economic growth, promoting economic integration, and fostering sustainable development. Her scholarly contributions have been featured in esteemed journals.