Assaf Razin's Legacy: Impact on Global Economic Policies and Migration
Assaf Razin, a prominent international economist, passed away in July 2026 at the age of 85. His career spanned over five decades, during which he made significant contributions to the fields of trade, capital mobility, taxation, migration, and fiscal policy. Razin's work was characterized by a focus on how globalization influences and constrains national policy choices. He was born in Kibbutz Shamir, Israel, and despite the collectivist upbringing, he pursued higher education, earning a PhD in Economics from the University of Chicago. Razin held academic positions at the University of Minnesota and Tel Aviv University, and later at Cornell University. He advised governments and international institutions, including the IMF, and was known for his warnings about Israel's inflation crisis in the late 1970s. His research explored the interaction between international trade and capital flows, the determinants of the current account, and the effects of taxation in open economies. 
