Samir Amin

Samir Amin, born in Egypt, is a neo-Marxist economist who’s specialized in, among others, the field of development theory. In 1957, he gained a Ph.D. degree in political economy in Paris. Thereafter, he worked for the planning body of Nasser’s regime as well as for the Ministry of Planning of, then newly independent, Mali. Following these challenging and impressive career steps, Mr. Amin commenced an academic career. Since 1966 he has held a position of Professor in France. Prof. Amin has further held position of director of the UN African Institute for Economic Development and Planning, from 1970 until 1980. In his extensive career, Prof. Amin has published over 30 works, including Imperialism and Unequal Development (1977) and Capitalism in the age of Globalization (1997). These publications promote the conscious self-reliance of developing countries, placing particular focus on ‘the’ Arab world. Currently, Prof. Amin holds the position of director of the Forum du Tiers Monde (Third World Forum), an organisation which aims to bring together intellectuals engaged in debates on various possible development alternatives.

Lecture: Free trade and underdevelopment