Mari Pangestu, a professor of international economics at University of Indonesia and Board Member of CSIS, Jakarta, joined the Peterson Institute for International Economics as a distinguished fellow in October 2023.

She has served most recently as the Managing Director of Development Policy Partnerships at the World Bank (March 2020-2023) and was Indonesia’s Minister of Trade from 2004 to 2011 and Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy from 2011 to 2014. As Minister of Trade she oversaw Indonesia’s negotiations at the multilateral level (Doha Round and WTO), regional level (ASEAN and the East Asia Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) and bilateral negotiations (amongst others Japan, EU, Australia and Korea). As Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy she spearheaded the creative economy framework in Indonesia. For her government service she was awarded the Mahaputra Award (Highest Order for Public Service awarded by the President of Republic Indonesia) in 2013.

She has had vast experience of over 30 years in academia, second track processes, international organizations and government working in areas related to globalization, international trade, investment and sustainable development in multilateral, regional and national settings. She has done research and written papers on foreign direct investment, trade, policy reforms, development issues focusing on Indonesia as well as with an ASEAN and global focus. Some of her recent publications include edited with Arianto Patunru and Mohammad Chatib Basri, Indonesia in the New World: Globalisation, Nationalism and Sovereignty (2018); edited with Ponciana Intal, Integrated and Connected Seamless ASEAN Economy (2019); China-US Trade War: an Indonesian perspective (2019); Is the Multilateral Trading System Fit for Purpose (Bretton Woods Committee, 2019); and edited with Fukunari Kimura, Shandre Mugan Thangavelu and Christopher Findaly, Handbook on East Asian Economic Integration (2021).

She was the George Ball Professor at the School of International Public Affairs (SIPA), Columbia University in 2015, and continues to be an adjunct senior research scholar; honorary professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University since 2018. She also received an Honoris Causa from the Australian National University in 2013.

Professor Pangestu is a highly regarded international expert on a range of global issues and has served on a number of boards and task forces such as, with Jeff Sachs on the Poverty and Development, UN Millenium Project (2001-3); the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington D.C (2018-2020); Co-Chair of Expert Group, High Level Panel, Sustainable Ocean Economy (2018-20); and is currently an international board member of World Resources Institute (WRI).

She has played a leadership role in various second track processes, such as PECC (Pacific Economic Cooperation Council) where from 1991-2000 she led the Trade Policy Forum and contributed to the APEC processes and has had many engagements with the private sector. This includes serving as an executive board member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) (2016-20), World Economic Forum (various agenda councils and leading sessions), and as advisers to the chambers of commerce in Indonesia and ASEAN. She has also served on the board of a number of private sector companies and currently serves as the non-executive director of AIA, the largest insurance company in Asia.

She obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics from the Australian National University, and her doctorate in economics from the University of California at Davis where she wrote her dissertation on The Effect of Oil Shocks on a Small Oil Exporting Country: The Case of Indonesia.