World-renowned economist and Columbia University professor Jeffrey D. Sachs will visit Cyprus to deliver the keynote address at the AKEL Economic Forum 2025, set to take place on Wednesday, November 19, at the Hilton Nicosia.

Sachs — one of the most influential voices in global sustainable development — will speak on “From Global Challenges to National Strategies for Sustainable and Socially Just Growth.” His lecture will explore how countries can respond to mounting global crises such as climate change, inequality, and geopolitical instability by adopting national policies that promote social cohesion, green investment, and institutional modernization.

The Columbia professor, who previously taught economics at Harvard University for over two decades, currently directs the Center for Sustainable Development and chairs the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He has advised three UN Secretaries-General and received the prestigious Tang Prize in Sustainable Development in 2022.

During his address in Nicosia, Sachs will outline how small economies like Cyprus can balance environmental protection with social equity and economic resilience, linking local strategies to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Topics such as clean energy transition, fiscal fairness, and transparent governance of natural resources are expected to feature prominently in his talk.