Summary
Asad Sami is a Senior Program Manager at AidData, a research lab within William and Mary's Global Research Institute. He oversees research programs and leads data collection, analysis, and capacity-building initiatives on macroeconomics and international development finance, with a focus on foreign aid and debt sustainability. His work tracks the financial activities of major international financial institutions and key donor countries—including the World Bank Group, Gulf donors, and China—to uncover trends, enhance transparency, and inform strategic decision-making. Through his research, he provides actionable policy recommendations to support more effective development finance strategies.
Education
M.A., Economics, New York University
B.Sc. (Hons), Economics, Lahore University of Management Sciences
Background
Asad Sami is an economist in the international development field. Previously, he was a Research Associate in the Sustainable Development Finance program at the Center for Global Development in Washington, DC, where he conducted research, engaged with diverse stakeholders, and contributed to knowledge products on macroeconomics, development finance, debt sustainability, IMF programs, SDRs, and the role of MDBs and DFIs in mobilizing private sector finance for development. He also served as a Research Associate Consultant for the Asian Development Bank, working with the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation program to analyze the potential of international trade in Central and South Asia. Additionally, he has experience appraising and managing client engagements for MDB-funded urban infrastructure and service delivery projects in developing countries. Sami has previously interned at the World Bank Group, the International Growth Centre, and the Development Academy of the Philippines.