Rick Szostak, Department Chair of Economics is pleased to announce that Anwar Shah (PhD (Economics), 1983) will be a recipient of the University of Alberta's Distinguished Alumni Award this September according to an announcement of the Office of Alumni Relations (see https://www.ualberta.ca/alumni/recognition).
A thankyou goes out to Mel McMillan for nominating Anwar and collecting the necessary documentation and letters of support.
Anwar Shah has had a remarkable career. After short periods with the Government of Alberta and Finance Canada, he joined the World Bank in 1986. There he led the introduction and adoption of the Bank's decentralization strategy - that is, its recognition and pursuit of sub-national governments' potential for improving public services. He worked tirelessly to promote the concept, educate and train Bank staff and country personnel, and to assess the consequences. The flourishing of decentralization programs at the Bank are testimony to his influence; an influence reflected in the prodigious number of citations to Dr. Shah's writings in Bank, policy and scholarly publications and in the huge number of decentralization-oriented Bank projects stemming from his efforts. During his tenure at the Bank, the number of decentralization projects grew from essentially zero to over 9000 - each project focused on improving local services such as schooling, basic health care, roads, and water by introducing and/or expanding the role of local decision making. The influence that Anwar Shah had at the World Bank and in developing countries demonstrates amazing leadership, leadership generating benefits for the underprivileged worldwide.
While mandatory retirement brought his (full-time) employment at the World Bank to a close in 2009, Dr. Shah continues professionally as an international consultant and scholar. Anwar Shah made many contributions to improving government (particularly at the local level) and living conditions in countries throughout the world.
The Department of Economics congratulates Anwar Shah on this well-deserved recognition.
Well-wishers are welcome to join in the celebration the evening of Monday, September 24. You may register at the website noted above.