For the first time in history, a woman will lead the London School of Economics, temple of university research in the field of economics and politics and one of the most quoted universities in the world. It's about Nemat Shafik, 53 years old from Alexandria, but holds British and American passports. Shafik, to assume the position of director of the prestigious London university, starting from September 2017, announced yesterday that he had resigned from the role of deputy governor of the English central bank.
The Egyptian-born economist had joined the Bank of England two years ago and was considered one of the favorites for the succession of Mark Carney as Governor, starting in 2018. Carney who greeted her with affection: "With her work and her example, she leaves an important legacy, we wish her the best for her future".
For Shafik, who studied at the LSE, it is a return in grand style, to the seat occupied over time by characters such as Ralf Dahrendorf and Antony Giddens. According to the Egyptian-born economist, "Today more than ever there is a need for the long tradition of the London School of Economics in using the best of the social sciences to tackle the problems of the day". The new director boasts a world-class resume with leading positions at the IMF, World Bank, as well as having taught at Wharton Business School and Georgetown University.
Minouche, this is Shafik's nickname, will lead the university in a significant moment, underlines the same university which has fielded an investment of 11 million pounds to increase the development of its campus; this is the most important recovery plan in its 121-year history.
