º£½ÇºÚÁÏ

In a world shaped by financial crises, pandemics and geopolitical instability, economists are increasingly asked not just to interpret events, but to help respond to them. For Dana Hamzah (Industrial Economics, 2008), this has defined her career: from graduating at the height of the Global Financial Crisis to working at the IMF during the Covid-19 pandemic, to leading on sustainable development for the Bahraini government today.

Entering the graduate jobs market during a global financial crisis is never easy. But for an Industrial Economics student, graduating in 2008 proved to be a golden opportunity.

"At the time, everybody was looking for economists," she says. Dana began her career in risk management at a retail and investment bank, before moving into financial stability at the Central Bank of Bahrain, where she rose to become Head of Economic Research.

"My background in Industrial Economics made the transition from banking to the regulatory side at the Central Bank feel natural," she says. "It's such an underrated course – it bridges business and economics in a way that opens doors across so many different sectors."

And yet she almost never studied it. Hamzah initially enrolled on Finance, Accounting and Management, but quickly realised she was an economist, not an accountant, at heart. After switching courses in her first semester, Industrial Economics, she says, felt immediately like home.

It was at Nottingham that a career-long ambition began to take shape. Researching economists from her home country working in major international organisations such as the IMF, she noticed a clear gap - limited representation from Bahrain and the wider Middle East region, particularly among women. "That, for me, became a big goal", she says.

Over the following decade, she built her expertise at the Central Bank while completing a master's in Finance and Economic Policy, before a Hubert Humphrey Fellowship took her to the United States. The Fellowship included foundational placements at the Michigan Department of Treasury and the IMF in Washington DC, strengthening the belief that her goal was within reach.

And it was during another time of crisis - the Covid-19 pandemic - that she received a job offer from the IMF, making her the first Bahraini national to represent her country at the Fund's Executive Board.

Joining the IMF at the height of the pandemic, Dana found herself on the front line of global economic crisis response, contributing to policy thinking as the world grappled with disruption and recovery.

"It was my job to understand the implications of external shocks and political risks on different countries and sectors," she says. "That meant analysing vulnerabilities and helping shape programmes to support economies under strain."

Hamzah worked as an Advisor to the Executive Director for the Arab States and the Maldives, representing Bahrain alongside a constituency of Arab countries and acting as a bridge between national authorities and the Fund's technical staff and Executive Board.

"It showed me how important it is for countries to be represented inside international institutions," she says. "You need people at the table who can advocate for national interests and help shape the policies that ultimately affect your economy."

Working closely with Bahrain's Ministry of Finance and Central Bank led to an opportunity to return to Bahrain to work in government. Today, as Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Sustainable Development, she coordinates sustainability efforts across Bahrain while promoting them globally.

For Hamzah, sustainable development is not the environmental agenda it is often assumed to be. "People sometimes misinterpret it as only being linked to climate and the environment, but it's more than that," she says. "It's about creating fair industries, healthy competition, more jobs, better productivity and efficiency - reducing inequalities and ensuring inclusive access to the services that underpin long-term growth."

Financial inclusion sits at the heart of the work. Widening access to finance for individuals and small businesses, she argues, is one of the most powerful levers available to a government serious about long-term growth. "By giving people that access, by digitising your economy, you unlock opportunities and accelerate progress towards sustainable development - and in doing so, you start to tackle other challenges too, including health and the environment."

The approach is gaining attention beyond Bahrain's borders - countries across the region, she says proudly, are looking to Bahrain as a model for embedding sustainable development at the heart of government.

For someone who almost didn't study economics at all, she has come a long way.

"My entire career, to be honest, wouldn't have shaped up the way it did if it wasn't for that very strong and solid foundation I got with Industrial Economics."

It's a foundation that has taken her from breaking barriers to helping shape the trajectory of her country's development. Underpinning it all is a way of thinking about economies focused on solving problems - and making them work better.

"There's always that economist thinking in the back of my head," she says, "allowing me to rationalise, weigh possibilities, identify solutions and make decisions accordingly."

"I really see economists as doctors. We're doctors for the economy - we always want the best outcomes."