Mare Sarr

Mare Sarr is associate professor of international affairs and African studies at the School of International Affairs. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from University College London, an M.Sc. in economics from University of Warwick, an M.Sc. in economics and finance from Toulouse School of Economics, and a bachelor's degree in management from Reims Management School in France. His research interests include environmental and natural resource economics, institutional change and development, and political economy.

Sarr was previously an associate professor in the School of Economics at the University of Cape Town and, from 2010-12, was the director of its Environmental Policy Research Unit. His work includes publications in World Bank Economic Review, the Journal of Legal Studies, and Environmental and Resource Economics, among other peer-reviewed journals, and contributions to policy papers, commissioned reports, and book chapters. He has been invited as a visiting researcher at several top universities, including Penn State in January 2016.

Selected Peer Reviewed Journal Articles

C. Ravetti, M. Sarr, T. Swanson and D. Munene, "Favoritism and Discrimination among South African Workers: Ethnic Identity and Union Membership", World Development, forthcoming.

L. Ndikumana and M. Sarr, "Capital Flight, Foreign Direct Investment and Natural Resources in Africa", Resources Policy, forthcoming.

S. Larcom, M. Sarr, and T. Willems, “Dictators Walking the Mogadishu Line: How Men Become Monsters and Monsters Become Men,” World Bank Economic Review 32, no. 3 (2018): 584-609.

S. Larcom and M. Sarr, “On The Perils of Commitment to Punishment when Criminals Are Strategic,” Journal of Legal Studies 47, no. 2 (2018): 391-418.

C. Ravetti, M. Sarr, and T. Swanson, “Foreign Aid and Political Instability in Resource-rich Countries,” Resources Policy 58 (2018): 277-294.

M. Sarr and T. Swanson, “Will Technological Change Save the World? The Rebound Effect in International Transfers of Technology”, Environmental and Resource Economics 66, no. 3 (2017): 577-604.

X. Liu, M. Sarr and T. Swanson, “Resistance to the Regulation of Common Water Resources in Rural Tunisia”, Land Economics 91, no. 3 (2015): 435-459.

M. Bezabih and M. Sarr, “Risk Preferences and Environmental Uncertainty: Implications for Crop Diversification Decisions in Ethiopia” Environmental and Resource Economics 53 (2012): 483-505.

M. Sarr, E. Bulte, C. Meissner, and T. Swanson, “On the Looting of Nations”, Public Choice 148 (2011): 353-380.

From Iraq to State College: an SIA student’s journey to a career in politics

Professor Sarr partners with Penn State units & UniCV to improve forecasts for fishing industry

SIA Launches Fall 2019 Seminar Series: Focus on Africa