About the author

Abstract

Raphael Bar-El is an economist, Professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Chair of the Department of Public Policy and Administration. His main areas of interest are: economic growth, regional development, economic cooperation in the Middle East, small towns. In the last few years, he has worked with the State Government of Ceara (Brazil) on policy measures for the alleviation of poverty through economic regional development. He was the Director of the National Economic Planning Authority, at the Ministry of Economy and Planning. He was also a member of the Joint (Jordan–Israel–US) Steering Committee for the Integrated Development of the Jordan Rift Valley (JRV). He was in charge of the Economic Development Plan within the team of the long-term Master Plan for Israel. In 1996 and 1997, he was a member of the project headed by Michael Porter on Building Regional Competitive Advantage in the Middle East. Until 1993 he was a researcher and planner, the Director of Research, and finally the Director General of the Development Study Center (DSC), Rehovot, Israel. He has acquired extensive experience in regional development research and planning, in Israeli regions, as well as in regions in the developing world.