The International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD) congratulates its Executive Director Giulia Mascagni on her appointment to a Professorship at the University of Sussex, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to research on taxation and development.
Prof Mascagni has spent her career exploring how tax systems can help governments raise the resources they need to support public services and promote equitable development. Her work has primarily focused on African countries, particularly Ethiopia and Rwanda, combining rigorous data analysis with practical insights into how tax policy decisions shape communities and development outcomes.
“I am incredibly honoured that my work on taxation over the past 15 years has been recognised this way,” she said.
“For me, the most rewarding aspect of this academic journey has been working closely with policymakers and practitioners to translate research into actionable policy. I’m also particularly proud of ICTD’s contribution to fostering the next generation of tax scholars, especially through our large and vibrant cohort of PhD students who are advancing the field in exciting new directions,” she added.
Prof Mascagni took on the role of ICTD Executive Director on the 1st of July 2024 after having served as a co-Research Director since 2016. Over the past year, she has led several initiatives demonstrating the Centre’s policy impact and global engagement. Notably, she has steered ICTD’s contributions to the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) and continued to strengthen the Centre’s relationships across the tax and development sector, including with revenue authorities in partner countries. A testament to this collaboration was the second iteration of ICTD’s partner workshop, followed by a conference held in Kigali in December 2024, which brought together researchers and revenue authority representatives from across Africa.
“Tax remains essential to achieving any development outcome – not only because it is the primary source of financing for development, but also because it enables other financing options like private investment and loans, and because it can promote more transparent and accountable governance,” Prof Mascagni said.
“Through rigorous research, meaningful dialogue, and strong partnerships, we can support countries in designing tax systems that raise revenue fairly and sustainably, ultimately helping improve people’s lives,” she added.
Prof Mascagni is concurrently a Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), ICTD’s institutional base; a Research Associate at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS); and an Adjunct Professor at the Johns Hopkins University SAIS Europe. She has published extensively on topics including value-added taxes, wealth taxation, gender and taxation, and strategies for strengthening domestic revenue collection.
With a PhD in Economics from the University of Sussex, Prof Mascagni has spent nearly two decades evaluating tax reforms and supporting fiscal policies in LICs.
ICTD congratulates her on this well-deserved recognition and anticipates her continued leadership in shaping research and policy on taxation and development worldwide.
Check out this page to see more of Prof Mascagni’s works with ICTD.