Yiagadeesen (Teddy) Samy

NPSIA Director and Professor of International Affairs

• 5304 Richcraft Hall, Carleton University
• 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6

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Teddy Samy is currently in his second term as the Director of NPSIA, after serving a first term from 2017 to 2022. Prior to that, he served as Associate Director (MA program) from 2010 to 2016, and as Acting Associate Director (MA program) from 2008 to 2009. Since joining NPSIA in 2003, he has taught graduate courses in development economics, international trade, macroeconomics for developing countries, development assistance and quantitative methods.

Professor Samy’s research interests intersect the broad areas of international and development economics, and his current research focuses on domestic resource mobilization, fragile states, foreign aid, deindustrialization and income inequality, and trade and women’s economic empowerment. He recently co-edited a Handbook on Fragile States (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2023) and his latest co-authored book is Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment: Evidence from Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023).

His articles have been published in various journals such as Conflict, Security and Development, the Canadian Journal of Development Studies, Third World Quarterly, International Interactions, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, Conflict Management and Peace Science, Foreign Policy Analysis, the Journal of International Trade and Economic Development and Applied Economics.

Professor Samy is the recipient of a Research Achievement Award (2013-2014) and a Research Excellence Award (2008) from Carleton University. He is currently serving as an Expert for the The African Knowledge Network, Office of the Special Advisor on Africa, United Nations Under-Secretary General.

Professor Samy holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Ottawa, an MA in Economics from the University of Toronto, and a BA (Hons.) in Economics and Mathematics from York University. He completed his A-levels with distinctions in all subjects at the Royal College Curepipe, Mauritius, and is a double recipient of a scholarship from the Canadian Francophonie Scholarship Program.

Expertise

African economic development, domestic resource mobilization, foreign aid, fragile and conflict-affected states, deindustrialization and income inequality, small island developing states, trade and development.

Recent Publications

Samy, Y. and Tang, V. 2025. “Mauritius: The Evolution and Dynamics of Income Inequality in the Context of Structural Transformation,” in C. Oya, R. Ramtohul and V. Tandrayen-Ragoobur (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of the Mauritian Economy, Oxford University Press.

Carment, D. and Samy, Y. 2025. “Fragile States in an Era of Geopolitical Rivalry, Pandemic, and War,” in R. Gisselquist, P. Justino and A. Vaccaro (eds.) Fragile Aid: Development Cooperation in Weak States and Conflict Contexts, Oxford University Press.

Jackson, E. T., Samy, Y. and Turner, K. 2025. “Gender Incentives in Climate Finance: Doubling Down on Proven Approaches During Uncertain Times,” online at NextBillion.

Samy, Y., Adedeji, A., Iraoya, A., Dutta, M. K., Fakmawii, J. L., and Hao, W. 2023. Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment: Evidence from Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. Palgrave Macmillan.

Kabongi, D. and Samy, Y. 2023. “Democracy and Taxation: Evidence from African Countries,” Journal of African Development, 24(1), 43-64.

Carment, D. and Samy, Y. 2023. (eds.) Handbook of Fragile States. Elgar Handbooks in Political Science, Edward Elgar Publishing.

Carment, D. and Samy, Y. 2023. “Introduction to the Handbook of Fragile States,” in D. Carment and Y. Samy (eds.) Handbook of Fragile States, Elgar Handbooks in Political Science, Edward Elgar Publishing, 1-18.

Cisneros Rosado, K. and Samy, Y. 2023. “Implications of Fragility for Growth, Poverty, and Inequality,” in D. Carment and Y. Samy (eds.) Handbook of Fragile States, Elgar Handbooks in Political Science, Edward Elgar Publishing, 152-169.

Olayele, F. and Samy, Y. 2023. (eds.) Sustainable Development in Post Pandemic Africa. Routledge Studies in African Development, Routledge.

Samy, Y. and Olortuntoba S. O. 2023. “Revisiting Africa’s Deindustrialization Debate,” in F. Olayele and Y. Samy (eds.) Sustainable Development in Post-Pandemic Africa, Routledge Studies in African Development, Routledge, 159-177.

Samy, Y. 2022. “Africa in Global Trade,” in S. O. Olorutoba and T. Falola (eds.) The Palgrave Handbook of Africa and the Changing Global OrderPalgrave Macmillan, 393-408.

Baranyi, S., Samy, Y., and Washuta, B. 2021. “SDG16+ Implementation in Fragile and Conflict-Affected States: What Do the Data Tell Us Six Years into Agenda 2030?” Conflict, Security and Development, 21(6), 727-748.

Duncan, H. and Samy, Y. 2021. (eds.) Canada Among Nations 2019, International Affairs and Canadian Migration Policy. Palgrave Macmillan.

Carment, D., Langlois-Bertrand, S., and Samy, Y. 2020. “The Nature and Extent of Fragility Traps in Small States,” in L. Briguglio, J. Byron, S. Moncada and W. Veenendaal Governance in Small States, Routledge.

Bhushan, A. and Samy, Y. 2020. “Fiscal Capacity and Aid Allocation: Domestic Resource Mobilization and Foreign Aid in Developing Countries,“ in K. Hujo (ed.) The Politics of Domestic Resource Mobilization for Social Development, Palgrave Macmillan, 41-74.