-
Hajer Kratou
- Associate Professor
- Ext: 5165
Dr. Hajer Kratou is an economist. She obtained her Ph.D. in 2015 from the University of Auvergne, Clermont 1 (France). She has experience of 15 years in teaching as a lecturer at ESSECT (University of Tunis) for five semesters and as a secondary school teacher at the Rectorat of Clermont (France). She worked for two years as a researcher at one of Tunisia’s pioneering microfinance institutions and also served as a consultant for the African Union. From Fall 2017 to Summer 2019, Dr. Hajer Kratou held the position of Assistant Professor in Economics at Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd University (KSA). In Fall 2019, she joined Ajman University in the UAE, where she currently teaches in the Department of Finance. In September 2024, she was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor. Her research interests cover migration topics, such as the determinants of the high-skilled emigration; migrants' remittances and rent -seeking theory and institutions questions. She has authored Scopus-indexed publications on various macroeconomic topics, including income inequality, globalization, remittances, and economic growth. Dr. Hajer Kratou is also involved in other research topics combining both economical and political science in collaboration with the Nordic Africa Institute (Sweden). Papers published in 2024 includes the following : "The growth-inequality debate revisited by rent-seeking theory: Some empirical evidence" at European Journal of Political Economy (Scopus-Q1). "Do low-skilled migrant remittances help achieve SDG 10 ?" at Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies (Scopus-Q1). "Importance of academic freedom for democracy in Africa" at Book Academic Freedom in Africa : The struggle Rages on. Papers published in 2023 includes the following : "Do Remittances and Terrorism Impact Each Other?" at Peace Economics, Peace Science and Public Policy (Scopus-Q2). "The Long-Run Effect of Carbon Emission and Economic Growth in European Countries: A Computational Analysis through Vector Error Correction Model" at International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy (Scopus-Q1). "Does the cost of remitting matter? Evidence from low-income countries on the effect of remittances on income distribution" at Development Studies Research (Scopus-Q2).
Education
- PhD in Development Economics, Auvergne University, Clermont-Ferrand, France, 2015.
- Master’s Degree M2 in Econometrics, Polytechnic School, Tunis, Tunisia, 2010.
- Bachelor's Degree M1 in Business Administration, HEC Tunis, Tunisia, 2008.
PhD in Development Economics, Auvergne University, Clermont-Ferrand, France, 2015.
Master’s Degree M2 in Econometrics, Polytechnic School, Tunis, Tunisia, 2010.
Bachelor's Degree M1 in Business Administration, HEC Tunis, Tunisia, 2008.
Experience
- Associate Professor of Finance, Ajman University, Present.
- Assistant Professor of Finance and Accounting, PMU, KSA, 2 years.
- Consultant, African Union, 1 year.
- Researcher, Research and Marketing, Tunis, 2 years.
- Lecturer, Rectorat of Clermont, France, 1 year.
- Lecturer, Economics, ESSECT, 5 semesters.
Associate Professor of Finance, Ajman University, Present.
Assistant Professor of Finance and Accounting, PMU, KSA, 2 years.
Consultant, African Union, 1 year.
Researcher, Research and Marketing, Tunis, 2 years.
Lecturer, Rectorat of Clermont, France, 1 year.
Lecturer, Economics, ESSECT, 5 semesters.
Teaching Area
- Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, International Business, Research Methodology, Economic Development, Money and Banking, Managerial Economics.
Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, International Business, Research Methodology, Economic Development, Money and Banking, Managerial Economics.
Research
- Development Economics, External Financial Flows (FDI, Remittances, Aid, Portfolio Flows, Transnational Credits), Capital Account Openness, Dutch Disease, Post-2015 Agenda (Sustainable Development Goals: Income Inequality and Poverty Reduction), Institutions, Financial Development, Financial Inclusion, Academic Freedom, Democracy, Migration.
Development Economics, External Financial Flows (FDI, Remittances, Aid, Portfolio Flows, Transnational Credits), Capital Account Openness, Dutch Disease, Post-2015 Agenda (Sustainable Development Goals: Income Inequality and Poverty Reduction), Institutions, Financial Development, Financial Inclusion, Academic Freedom, Democracy, Migration.
Publications
-
Book ChapterL Laakso, H Kratou , Academic Freedom in Africa, Academic Freedom in Africa, taylor and Francis Group, ISBN: 9781003516248
-
JournalHajer Kratou, Thierry Yogo, Do Remittances and Terrorism Impact Each Other?, Peace Econ. Peace Sci. Pub. Pol, Sep 2023
-
JournalHajer Kratou, Najeh Khlass , ) Does the cost of remitting matter? Evidence from low-income countries on the effect of remittances on income distribution,, DEVELOPMENT STUDIES RESEARCH, Jul 2023
-
JournalF Facchini, L Jaeck, H Kratou, The growth-inequality debate revisited by rent-seeking theory: Some empirical evidence., European journal of political economy, Sep 2024
-
JournalGyanendra Singh Sisodia, Hemant Kumar Sah, Hajer Kratou, Rajesh Mohnot, Alberto Ibanez, Bhumika Gupta, The Long-Run Effect of Carbon Emission and Economic Growth in European Countries: A Computational Analysis through Vector Error Correction Model, International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, May 2023
-
JournalHajer KRATOU, Rekha Pillaib and Taimur Sharifc, Do low-skilled migrant remittances help achieve SDG 10?, JOURNAL OF CHINESE ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS STUDIES, Apr 2023
-
JournalSomlanare Romuald Kinda, Hajer Kratou , Climatic variability, remittances and household consumption volatility In developing countries, Economics Bulletin, Mar 2023
L Laakso, H Kratou , Academic Freedom in Africa, Academic Freedom in Africa, taylor and Francis Group, ISBN: 9781003516248
The relationship between academic freedom and democratic competence remains a critical research question in political science. Not only do the current studies not conclusively give us a clear clue about the nature of this relationship, but there is also an apparent ignorance of this critical question in Africa. In this chapter, we move a step closer to a more precise answer by analysing the trends of academic freedom and democratic consolidation in Africa with insights from three countries representing different experiences: Burundi, Ghana and Tunisia. Ghana is an example of stable democratic development with good academic freedom. However, threats to academic freedom still prevail. In Burundi, intimidation and discrimination among scholars and students are common, and the possibility of opposition to challenge the ruling party is also very restricted. In Tunisia, after 2011, the constitution guaranteed freedom of opinion, thought, expression, information and publication, but political developments in 2022 made it an example of democratic backsliding.
About the journal
Hajer Kratou, Thierry Yogo, Do Remittances and Terrorism Impact Each Other?, Peace Econ. Peace Sci. Pub. Pol, Sep 2023
Current studies do not conclusively tell us whether there is a causal relationship between remittances and terrorism. Yet, this question is important because the answer has clear implications for the way remittances are monitored and handled. Hence, with this paper, we move a step closer to a definitive answer by studying the impact of remittances on specific terrorist events in 180 countries over the period 1970–2020. We also look in reverse at whether acts of terrorism attract remittances. From event-study analysis and a panel vector autoregression model, Granger causality tests, and a Cholesky decomposition to isolate shocks, we find that we can neither reject the hypothesis that remittances do not Granger-cause terrorism nor reject that terrorism does not Granger-cause remittances. We also find that terrorism response to remittances shock is negative. These findings do not support previous studies that show remittances could be used to fund terrorist attacks. Further, the response of remittance to terrorism shock is null, excepting for Latin America which shows a statistical negative effect. Remittances in Latin America do not appear to respond to conflict. Some of our findings are new, others contradict a large stream of literature (i.e. remittances as a potential source of financing). The insights should be useful to policymakers to facilitate the flow of remittances that result in more disposable income of recipient families
About the journal
Hajer Kratou, Najeh Khlass , ) Does the cost of remitting matter? Evidence from low-income countries on the effect of remittances on income distribution,, DEVELOPMENT STUDIES RESEARCH, Jul 2023
Part C of the United Nation’s (UN) 10th Sustainable Development Goal to reduce inequality addresses the high transaction costs faced by migrants when sending money home. The target is to reduce transaction fees to a maximum of 3%. To test the strength of these targets in reducing income inequality, we conducted instrumental variable (IV) estimations on 32 lowincome countries for the period 2008–2021. The results show that remittances – typically made by low-paid workers–help reduce income inequality in the home country and that high transaction fees probably reduce the average remitted amount, rather than discouraging migrants from sending money home. Both remitting behaviors contribute to widening the income gap. Based on our estimations, the ‘affordable level’ is up to 1.93%. Fees greater than this would result in fewer remittances given the budget constraints faced the remitters – often employed in unskilled jobs in high-income countries. Hence, our results do not support the SDG 10.c target of 3%, and suggest that the UN should thus revise the target and set fees to be no higher than 2%.
About the journal
F Facchini, L Jaeck, H Kratou, The growth-inequality debate revisited by rent-seeking theory: Some empirical evidence., European journal of political economy, Sep 2024
The growth/income inequality nexus is surrounded by theoretical as well as empirical ambiguities. These ambiguities can be lifted by focusing on the nature of inequalities and not their level. Inequalities may be the result of productive profit-seeking activities or unproductive rent-seeking activities. To re-assess empirically the growth/income inequality nexus, we first propose a strategy to approximate the nature of inequalities by an indicator of institutional quality. We propose an indicator of institutions’ productivity which describes the prevalence of institutions favourable to the search for profit and institutions fostering the search for rents, and conversely. It is an indirect measure of the predominance of rent-seeking activities over profit-seeking ones, and conversely. Then, using a panel data covering the period 1990–2020 for 114 countries (88 developing countries and 26 developed countries) and relying on the two-way fixed effects technique to test our estimator, we show that countries where institutions’ productivity is high, growth is positively related to income inequality. Conversely, growth is negatively related to income inequality in countries where institutions’ productivity is low. There is thus a positive relationship between productive inequalities and growth in countries where profit-seeking institutions dominate the institutional setting. By analogy, in countries where rent-seeking institutions are dominant there is a negative relationship between unproductive inequalities and growth. Contrary to previous public policy recommendations, inequalities should not be tackled since they are pro-growth in countries with high levels of institutions’ productivity.
About the journal
Gyanendra Singh Sisodia, Hemant Kumar Sah, Hajer Kratou, Rajesh Mohnot, Alberto Ibanez, Bhumika Gupta, The Long-Run Effect of Carbon Emission and Economic Growth in European Countries: A Computational Analysis through Vector Error Correction Model, International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, May 2023
The paper seeks to examine the association that exists among a number of energy-related variables such as energy use, renewable energy use, carbon pollutants and the economic growth of European Union countries. The examination of variables focus on twenty-one years of data from 2000 to 2020 using a multidimensional data framework. The findings come from empirical analysis carried out using panel VECM model and associated tests such as, panel unit root test, cointegration and the causality one. The different variables indicated above have positive effects on the growth of economies in various EU member states. Results obtained from the use of the heterogeneous causality test indicated that there is an indirect causality between energy use and the rate at which economies develop. Based on the findings obtained from the study, there is a need for EU member states to establish policies that should help to enhance efficiency in energy use to promote economic development.
About the journal
Hajer KRATOU, Rekha Pillaib and Taimur Sharifc, Do low-skilled migrant remittances help achieve SDG 10?, JOURNAL OF CHINESE ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS STUDIES, Apr 2023
In this paper we explore the role migrant skill composition plays in remittances and income inequality’ relationships, using a panel study of 53 African countries over the period 1990–2020 and referring to two strands of literature that demonstrate that (1) highly skilled migrants widen the income gap in the home country; and (2) they have fewer incentives to remit compared to their less-skilled compatriots. The instrumental variable technique was employed to estimate a dynamic panel data model whilst rectifying endogeneity issues. The findings reveal that a policy that shifts the migrant skill composition toward the less-skilled workers could channel more remittance funds to poor households, resulting in diminishing the income disparity in the home country. Migration policies attempting to mitigate the brain drain and facilitate the migration of lowskilled workers would enable the attenuation of the income inequality gap.
About the journal
Somlanare Romuald Kinda, Hajer Kratou , Climatic variability, remittances and household consumption volatility In developing countries, Economics Bulletin, Mar 2023
This paper addresses the effect of climatic variability on household consumption volatility and explores the role of migrants' remittances in smoothing the household consumption during time of harsh climatic events over the period 1980–2019. Using panel data for 110 developing countries and the instrumental variables technique, results show that climatic variability increases household's consumption volatility. More interestingly, they reveal that the positive effect of climatic variability on household's consumption volatility decreases with remittances. Results are robust to additional checks such as the two-step generalized method of moments (IV-GMM) estimator and the GMM-System. For policymakers, these insights reveal that migrant remittances are an important lifeline that can mitigate climate shocks damages, but success relies on transparent pricing and initiatives to encourage competition in the transfer services market.
About the journal
Conference Presentation
- Oct/Nov 2023: GDN annual conference Biodiversity and sustainable development. Quito, Ecuador. Communication: how does biodiversity affect income inequality. Africa - September 2013: The 4th GDRI DREEM Conference: ‘Evaluation des Politiques Économiques et des Transformations Institutionnelles dans les Pays Méditerranéens,’ Italy - Communication: The Effect of Financial Openness on Growth in the MENA Region: Do Institutions and Financial Development Matter? - June 2013: GDN 14th Annual Conference: ‘Inequality, Social Protection, and Inclusive Growth,’ Philippines - March 2013: Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, The 14th Mediterranean Research Meeting, Turkey - Communication: Determinants of Corruption: Evidence from South and Western Europe and the MENA Region - January 2013: Training Workshop organized by the Economic Research Forum on Measurement of Inequality of Opportunity and Inequality of Outcomes, Egypt - January 2012: First International Conference of the University of Mostaganem, Algeria, January 29-30, 2012 - Communication: The Impact of Foreign Flows on the Real Effective Exchange Rate in Maghreb Countries - June 2011: Tunisian Economist Association, Tunisia - Communication: The Impact of Capital Inflows on External Competitiveness - Communication: Capital Account Openness, Institutions, and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from the MENA Region - December 2010: The Second International Conference of GDRI DREEM: ‘Innovation and Economic Development in the Mediterranean Countries,’ Egypt - Communication: Financial Liberalization, Institutions, and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from the MENA Region.
- June 2022: The Annual Conference on Sustainable Finance, Accounting, Accountability, and Governance, Istanbul, Turkey. Communication: Does the Migration of the Less-Skilled Help Achieve SDG 10?
- March 2022: The Annual Sociological Conference of the Westermarck Society, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Communication: Empirical Investigations of the African Experience of “The Narrow Corridor”
- Oct/Nov 2023: GDN annual conference Biodiversity and sustainable development. Quito, Ecuador. Communication: how does biodiversity affect income inequality.
Oct/Nov 2023: GDN annual conference Biodiversity and sustainable development. Quito, Ecuador. Communication: how does biodiversity affect income inequality. Africa - September 2013: The 4th GDRI DREEM Conference: ‘Evaluation des Politiques Économiques et des Transformations Institutionnelles dans les Pays Méditerranéens,’ Italy - Communication: The Effect of Financial Openness on Growth in the MENA Region: Do Institutions and Financial Development Matter? - June 2013: GDN 14th Annual Conference: ‘Inequality, Social Protection, and Inclusive Growth,’ Philippines - March 2013: Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, The 14th Mediterranean Research Meeting, Turkey - Communication: Determinants of Corruption: Evidence from South and Western Europe and the MENA Region - January 2013: Training Workshop organized by the Economic Research Forum on Measurement of Inequality of Opportunity and Inequality of Outcomes, Egypt - January 2012: First International Conference of the University of Mostaganem, Algeria, January 29-30, 2012 - Communication: The Impact of Foreign Flows on the Real Effective Exchange Rate in Maghreb Countries - June 2011: Tunisian Economist Association, Tunisia - Communication: The Impact of Capital Inflows on External Competitiveness - Communication: Capital Account Openness, Institutions, and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from the MENA Region - December 2010: The Second International Conference of GDRI DREEM: ‘Innovation and Economic Development in the Mediterranean Countries,’ Egypt - Communication: Financial Liberalization, Institutions, and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from the MENA Region.
June 2022: The Annual Conference on Sustainable Finance, Accounting, Accountability, and Governance, Istanbul, Turkey. Communication: Does the Migration of the Less-Skilled Help Achieve SDG 10?
March 2022: The Annual Sociological Conference of the Westermarck Society, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Communication: Empirical Investigations of the African Experience of “The Narrow Corridor”
Oct/Nov 2023: GDN annual conference Biodiversity and sustainable development. Quito, Ecuador. Communication: how does biodiversity affect income inequality.
Memberships, Awards and Honors
- GDN-ERF Essay Competition. Award for essay on “Le Développement Régional en Afrique du Nord et au Moyen-Orient” (2015).
- Foundation of the University of Auvergne. Grants for conference participation (€500) (2014).
- Grants for conference participation from the Auvergne Region (€1,500) (2014).
- French Institute in Tunisia. Scholarship for Scientific Stay (€1,000) (2015).
- Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Tunisia: PhD Scholarship (€9,000) (2012-2014).