Michael Cernea

Michael Cernea "joined the World Bank in 1974 as the institution's first in-house sociologist. Between 1981 and 1997 he worked as the Bank's senior advisor for sociology and social policy, where he was responsible for defining the social content of many World Bank policies and carried out field research in numerous development countries. He was a founding member of the World Bank NGO Committee and constantly promoted involvement of NGOs in the formulation and implementation of development policies and programs. In 1988 he authored the first study on NGOs published by the World Bank, which led to the definition of the Bank's policy guidelines on cooperation with NGOs. He has served as an elected member on the leading bodies of numerous European and American social science associations and on the advisory boards of various scientific journals.

"His books and articles include Putting People First: Sociological Variables in Development (1985, 1991), Anthropological Approaches to Resettlement: Policy, Practice, Theory (1993), Social Organization and Development Anthropology (1996), Social Assessments for Better Development (1997), the Economics of Involuntary Resettlement: Questions and Challenges (1999) and Resettlement and Development, vols. I and II (in Chinese, 1997 and 1998). Dr. Cernea was born in Romania and has a Ph.D. in sociology and social philosophy. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the Academy of Sciences, Romania." 

He is a director of Pact.