Economists’ statement in support of Atif Mian

It is with dismay that I learned recently that Princeton’s Atif Mian, one of the greatest scholars on finance and macroeconomics I know, was disinvited from Pakistan’s Economic Advisory Council because of his religious beliefs. See here and here for more background.

Dani Rodik and I have put together a statement, along with many friends who support Atif. The statement is below. We already have more than 90 signatories, including 26 economists working in Pakistan and 8 Nobel Prize winners. Any academic economist wishing to add his/her name to the list of signatories should send Dani Rodik or me a note.

Economists’ Statement in Support of Atif Mian

We, the undersigned economists, believe that Atif Mian would be a fantastic addition to the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) of Pakistan. Professor Mian is a first-rate economist with expertise in development economics, financial economics, and macroeconomics. Given this expertise, we believe that his participation in the EAC would be valuable for policy-makers, and his advice would improve the lives of the broader population of Pakistan. 

Members of the Pakistani government pressured Professor Mian to resign from the EAC because of his religious beliefs. The decision by the Pakistani government to ask Professor Mian to resign from the EAC deprives the government of top economic talent. We express disappointment and disapproval of the decision to pressure Professor Mian to resign because of his religious beliefs. Such discrimination on the basis of religion should not play a role in deciding who can best serve the country.

For the initial list of signatories, see here.  For the full list of signatories, see here.