Welcome!
I am a doctoral student in Economic history at Lund University and a researcher at the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies and at the Centre for Economic Demography at Lund University. My research interests include regional economic inequality and the economics of immigrant integration.
You can find my CV here.
Research
The Historical State and Path Dependence: Evidence from Ottoman Syria’s Stateless Frontier
Abstract: This paper investigates the long-term effects of statelessness in Ottoman Syria by analysing the region divided by the “desert line” - a boundary that separated Ottoman-controlled areas from those subject to tribal raids. Using a spatial regression discontinuity design, I estimate the impact of historical statelessness on contemporary economic outcomes. The results show that historically stateless areas have lower incomes, less human and physical capital, and a higher share of workers in the primary sector. I find that these effects persist primarily due to lower population density, which explains a significant portion of the economic gaps. This persistence reflects path-dependent consequences: emigration and low population density, initiated by statelessness, continue to hinder economic development in these areas today.
Ethnic and Religious Differences in Female Labor Force Participation: Evidence from Syrian Census Data.
Abstract: This paper investigates the extent and causes of differences in Female Labor Force Participation (FLFP) across ethnic and religious groups in Syria. Using census data and the Gelbach decomposition method, the paper reveals substantial gaps in FLFP across groups, with differences reaching up to 18 percentage points. To understand the factors underlying these gaps, the analysis exploits the heterogeneity in economic development, demographic profiles, and educational attainment across towns and villages. The study finds that the main correlates of gaps in FLFP are the age distribution of the population, income, education, and the public sector employment share. The contribution of social norms is examined through the use of gender parity indices for educational enrolment and attainment to proxy for social restrictions on women but are not found to contribute significantly to ethnic and religious gaps in FLFP.
Premium or Penalty? Occupations and Earnings of Ottoman Immigrants and their Offspring in the United States, 1900–1940. (with Martin Dribe)
Conditionally accepted at the European Review of Economic History
Abstract: We study the economic integration of immigrants from Ottoman Syria and Turkey and their offspring in the United States using full count census data from 1900 to 1940. Immigrants initially achieved occupational premiums due to their selection into high-reward industries, but 1940 earnings data reveals significant and growing disadvantages over time, partly due to lower educational attainment. In contrast, the second generation achieved substantial upward mobility, closing both the education and earnings gaps with native Whites. This contrasts with the experience of Northern European immigrants who matched natives more closely in terms of occupations and earnings.
Leaving the Parental Home Among Middle Eastern Immigrants and their Offspring in Sweden, 1998 to 2022 (with Anna Tegunimataka)
Work-in-progress
Teaching
Teaching assistant from 2022–2025 for courses including:
- Skill Training I - Statistics and Data
- Econometrics I
- Economic History: Family and Work - Scandinavia in an International Perspective
- Methods in Contemporary Middle Eastern Studies