Vaqar Ahmed, Joint Executive Director, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) Vaqar Ahmed is Joint Executive Director at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI). He has served at UNDP, and has undertaken assignments with the Asian Development Bank, World Bank Group, and Ministries of Finance, Planning, and Commerce in Pakistan. He holds a PhD in Economics with a focus on public finance and international trade reforms. He has published in areas such as macroeconomic modeling, inclusive growth and infrastructure reforms, trade and taxation policies, regional trade agreements, trade in services, energy governance, border-related trade infrastructure, youth employment, and social safety nets. He is a visiting faculty member and researcher in different international institutes, including the University of Le Havre in France, National University of Ireland, and IMT Institute of Advanced Studies in Italy, Rural Economy Research Centre of Ireland, and National University of Sciences and Technology in Pakistan.