Hana Brixi

Dr. Brixi serves as Lead Economist for Human Development in the Middle East and North Africa (MNA) Region. In this position she facilitates strategic engagement on human development in MNA countries, and leads innovative knowledge products in cross-cutting HD themes, such as financing and governance in service delivery.

Prior to her current position, Dr Brixi led the World Bank’s social protection and labor program in South East Asia countries. In her career with the World Bank since 1995, she served as Senior Country Economist in China, and Senior Economist & Public Sector Specialist in East Asia & the Pacific Region and Europe & Central Asia Region. In these positions, she led analytical, advisory and operational activities on public finance, governance, and human development. Furthermore, she led the Bank-wide Quality of Fiscal Adjustment Thematic Group, promoting innovation in public finance and public sector management.

During 2004-2010, Dr. Brixi took a leave from the World Bank to serve as WHO Health Sector Development Coordinator in China, and subsequently as UNICEF Social Policy Chief in China. In these positions, she contributed to China’s policy reforms in health, social protection, and service delivery & financing.

While in China, she also taught as a Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University, School of Public Policy and Management, in Beijing.

Dr. Brixi’s publications include book Government at Risk (Oxford University Press) and numerous articles in academic journals. She holds graduate degree in economics and public policy from Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University; post-graduate certificate in finance from the Sloan Business School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); and a PhD in physics from Masaryk University, Czech Republic.