When economics meets imagination, Professor Etienne Wasmer stands out. A physicist and mathematician by trade, the French-born academic made a decisive pivot into economics in the late 1990s, motivated not only by abstract theory but also a desire to respond to Europe’s rising unemployment.
In today’s world of rapid technological disruption, geopolitical instability, and shifting labor markets, the role of the economist is more vital and more complex than ever. Yet few move as fluidly between theory, data, and public policy as Wasmer.
"I was initially drawn to economics because it provided the tools to think about public policy," he says. “I saw a way to rethink systems and address structural inefficiencies.”
His scientific background provided a unique foundation for understanding economic systems, combining the precision of mathematics with a structural view of society.
Over the past two decades, Wasmer has applied that lens to questions about how global cities grow and decline, how labor markets function, and how economies can become more inclusive and efficient. His research has often anticipated major global shifts, from early warnings about financial vulnerabilities before the 2001 crash to examining the economic dimensions of conflict before the war in Ukraine.
His five-year role on France’s minimum wage committee led to the adoption of many of its data-driven recommendations by the government. During the COVID-19 crisis, Wasmer was recalled to the Council of Economic Advisors to the French Prime Minister, on which he had previously served from 2012 to 2016. "We were discovering data in real time, like minus 30 percent production in March and April 2020 due to lockdowns," he says.
His credibility as a policy voice deepened when he delivered a report to the Prime Minister in October 2024 suggesting a major shift of the main labor market policy in France, which had been in place since the early 1990s.
But his ambitions go beyond crisis response. For Wasmer, economics is a tool for identifying inefficiencies and redesigning systems to share growth more fairly.
"When you look at decisions as an outsider, you often realize they’re not very efficient," he says, “and at the same time, I know too well that these decisions are the outcome of complex political trade-offs on which economists have little to say.”
This long-term vision brought him to NYU Abu Dhabi eight years ago. Drawn by the UAE’s unique blend of economic planning and cultural ambition, Wasmer saw an opportunity to study a region building for the future.
"The economic development here is fascinating," he says. "Projects like the Saadiyat Cultural District show how long-term cultural ambition complements economic progress. For me, economic vibrancy and cultural vitality go hand in hand.”
His fascination with the movement of culture and ideas recently led to one of his most ambitious research efforts. In a study published in Nature Scientific Data and accessed 380,000 times since 2022, Wasmer and collaborators analyzed the lives of 2.6 million famous people spanning 5,000 years. Their data visualizations traced the global flow of influence, from Mesopotamia to Europe to the Americas, and revealed a shifting center of cultural gravity.
"It’s now getting closer to the Middle East as a global crossroads, and certainly somewhere between China, the U.S., and Europe," Wasmer says. While far-reaching in scope, the project reflects Wasmer’s enduring interest in how geography, policy, and systems shape opportunity and innovation – core ideas that also underpin his work on labor markets and economic development.
Looking ahead, Wasmer is hoping to develop a course on defense economics. The subject lies at the intersection of policy, conflict, and industry, an area where he believes economic thinking is urgently needed.
For him, economics is not just about equations or forecasts. It is about people, systems, and the forces that shape opportunity. His work reflects a belief that rigorous, thoughtful economics can help societies navigate disruption and build a more just and dynamic future.
