Ka Lok Wong (Steve)
Macroeconomist · Associate Economic Affairs Officer, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
Publications & Working Papers
Determinants of Sovereign Bond Issuance in Emerging Markets. With M. Manger & U. Panizza. Accepted in Oxford Review of Economic Policy, forthcoming 2026.
Africa's Domestic Debt: Balancing Resilience and Vulnerability. With M. Chui, L. Gambacorta, U. Panizza & N. Rescia. BIS Working Papers, forthcoming 2026.
Africa's Domestic Debt Boom: Evidence from the African Debt Database. With Manger, Mihalyi, Panizza, Rescia & Trebesch. CEPR Discussion Paper 20747, 2025.
Monetary Shocks and Fiscal Consequences: Exchange Rate Pass-Through to Tax Revenues in Emerging Markets. Single-authored research on how ERPT into fiscal sector in emerging markets.
Selected Skills
Software (teaching / working): Python, Stata, Matlab, Dynare, R, LaTeX
Data platforms: Bloomberg, Refinitiv DataStream, ORBIS, S&P Capital IQ, assorted APIs
Selected Employment
Economist (Associate Economic Affairs Officer)
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Macroeconomics, Finance and Governance Division (MFGD)
Young Professionals programme, Economic Affairs
Addis Ababa · Feb 2025 – present
PhD Researcher
Centre for Finance and Development, Geneva Graduate Institute (SNIS project on sovereign debt)
Geneva · 2022 – 2024
Research Intern, then Consultant
International Labour Organization (ILO)
Bangkok / Geneva · 2019 – 2022
Education
PhD in International Economics
Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID)
2021 – 2025 · Summa cum laude
Thesis: Essays in International Finance and Macroeconomics
MA in International Economics
Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID)
2020 – 2021 (fast-track to PhD)
MSc in Economic History
London School of Economics
2017 – 2018 · Merit
BA in Culture Management
City University of Hong Kong
2013 – 2017 · First
Research Assistance during PhD
Worked as research assistant to Ugo Panizza (2022); Philippe Bacchetta (2021–22); Richard Baldwin & Jonathan Dingle (2021).