Alexander J. Stein has joined the Director General’s Office in late 2011 as research coordinator. He is an agricultural economist with a background both in development economics and in health economics. So far he mainly worked on food and nutrition issues (in particular biofortification) and on the application of modern biotechnology in agriculture (incl. related trade implications). In these fields he primarily carried out impact assessments and economic analyses of new technologies, both in a scientific context and for policy support. His past regional focus was developing countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa, as well as the European Union.

Alexander obtained his PhD in agricultural economics from the University of Hohenheim under the supervision of Matin Qaim with summa cum laude; he also received two scientific prizes. Alexander has passed the doctoral programme of the Center for Development Research (ZEF) of the University of Bonn, he holds an MA in development economics from the University of Nottingham, he wrote a thesis in international economics at the University of Münster and he did undergraduate degrees in economics and business at the University I of Montpellier and at the University of Würzburg.

Before joining IFPRI, Alexander worked as consultant and editor for agricultural economics at Genius GmbH in Berlin, and he was scientific fellow at the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Seville. Prior to that, Alexander worked amongst others as a research associate in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Hohenheim, as a research associate at the Center for Development Research (ZEF) of the University of Bonn, as a consultant for development projects and for a stint as a trainee at the Council of the European Union.

Awards:
2008: Biennial prize of the Friends of ZEF for the best doctoral thesis in 2005/06.
2007: Science prize 2006 of the University Association Hohenheim.