Prof. Paul Kamau is an Associate Professors and also the Associate Director at the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) University of Nairobi. He holds a PhD in Development Studies (UoN), MSc. in Economics (UZ), and BA in Economics (UoN). He has so far supervised to completion of more than 20 postgraduate theses including 3 PhDs.
Prof. Paul Kamau lectures and conducts research in areas of Development Economics, Global Value Chains, Trade, Industrial Development, Political Economy Analysis, Regional Integration, informal Sector, Entrepreneurship and Human Development.
Prof. Paul Kamau has published widely in areas of economic governance, textiles and clothing value chains, informal economy, political settlements, industrial development, Chinese ascendancy in Africa focusing on trade, investment, aid and migration; market diversification among the food processing firms in Kenya, youth unemployment in Africa, Women in the informal sectors in Kenya; Social protection; State-Business relations in Africa; Aid Chains and Advocacy in the Global South.
Among the many research projects that Dr Kamau is currently engaged in including Afrobarometer Surveys where he is the deputy director for the Eastern African region; Access to Justice among poor and vulnerable groups in Kenya; Solar –electronic waste management; Devolution, citizen engagement and service delivery in Kenya; African Food Processing firms; and the political economy of inclusive growth and employment creation in agro-processing and agriculture sector in Kenya. He is also the country team leader for the World Economic Forum – Global Competitiveness Index in Kenya.
Industrial Development, Employment issues, Trade; Governance; Gender; Regional Integration; Entrepreneurship; State Business Relations in Africa; and human development. Other areas include the Implications of Chinese ascendancy on Africa and Research Methods.