Ewout Frankema

Dr. Ewout Frankema serves as Professor and Chair of the Economic and Environmental History Group at Wageningen University & Research, where he has established himself as a prominent scholar in comparative economic development and global inequality. After completing his studies in History, Economics, and Philosophy at the University of Groningen, where he obtained his PhD in Economics in 2008, he has built an impressive career examining the historical roots of global economic disparities. His research particularly focuses on understanding long-term economic development in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, employing a holistic approach that combines economic, social, colonial, and environmental history. His work has garnered significant recognition, including the prestigious Arthur H. Cole Award for the best paper in the Journal of Economic History in 2013, an ERC Starting Grant, and the 2019 AMMODO Science Award for outstanding mid-career scholarship. As Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Global History and research fellow of the UK Centre for Economic Policy Research, he continues to shape understanding of global economic development. His recent work explores South-South Divergence, examining how Asia's economic renaissance has influenced global income disparities and development patterns in the Global South. Through his teaching and research, including contributions to the Food Security and Sustainability program, he addresses critical questions about historical patterns of economic development and their implications for contemporary global inequality.