participants

Michael Hofmann

Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of Germany
Directorate-General 3: Global and sectoral policies; European and multilateral development policy; Africa; Middle East
Director-General
Germany

Short biographic note

Dr. Hofmann was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1948.
He studied Political Sciences and Latin American Studies at the Free University in Berlin; Diploma in 1974; postgraduate studies in Economics in Berlin and Lima (Peru).

In 1978 he earned a Ph.D. in Economics and Social Sciences from the Free University in Berlin. After a trainee programme at the German Development Institute he has held and is holding the following positions:

1979 - '80 Assistant to the Chairman of The Brandt Commission, ICIDI in Bonn, Geneva and London
1980 - '81 Fellow at the Research Institute of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Bonn
1981 - '88 Research Fellow at the German Development Institute (DIE), Berlin; extensive travels abroad for consulting and policy papers; several publications on development issues and lecture activities
1988 - '92 Advisor to former Chancellor Willy Brandt on International Affairs (esp. North-South Issues and World Economy.)
1992 - '95 Chief of Staff for the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) (1992/93 for Björn Engholm, 1993-95 for Rudolf Scharping)
1995 - '99 Head of the International Department (International Secretary) of the SPD
since 3/99 Director General in the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for Global and sectoral tasks; European and multilateral development policy; Africa; Middle East

Dr. Hofmann is Chair of the Board of the Development Gateway Foundation (DGF) and Member of the Society for International Development (SID) and of the Advisory Board of the Foundation Development and Peace (SEF).
His leisure activities are reading and tennis. He is married and has two daughters.