Pardee Institute’s Mohammod Irfan Travels to India and Bangladesh to Present IFs Research

Mohammod Irfan, a senior scientist at the Pardee Institute, presented at the 2024 annual conference of the Human Development and Capability Association, an international network of scholars and practitioners focused on human development and the capability approach with an emphasis on policy. Held in Kolkata, India, from September 24th to 26th, the conference featured Irfan’s presentation on long-term projections of multidimensional poverty. 

Irfan also traveled to Dhaka, Bangladesh, where he presented the International Futures (IFs) model at the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) of the Government of Bangladesh (GoB). Anwar Hossain, an alumnus of Korbel and Pardee and now chief executive officer of EPB, convened high-level officials from the GoB and Bangladesh Bank, who expressed strong interest in using the model for policy analysis, especially for trade policy. 

While abroad, Irfan also visited the BRAC Center in Dhaka, where policy planners discussed the potential application of IFs or similar models for macroeconomic analysis in their development projects. The BRAC Center is an international development organization founded in Bangladesh that strives to create opportunities for the economically disenfranchised to prosper. During this visit, Irfan presented his research on multidimensional poverty, a comprehensive measure that extends beyond income or consumption to capture broader aspects of deprivation.  

This series of presentations and conversations speak to broadening interest in the International Futures (Ifs) tool and its wide-reaching applications, including future trade and economic policies, environmental policy, and climate action.