Foreword by Ronald M. Harstad

A sensible economic analysis of the pandemic due to the virus commonly called COVID-19, and policies responding to its outbreak, is timely and much needed. Naturally, epidemiologists and virologists have taken centre stage in efforts to push political responses in sensible directions.

This book is thus a fine and key contribution. Surely by early 2023, there will be many books about economic effects of the pandemic. The lasting contribution of Acikgdz and Acar in Pandemnomics will lie in large part from the Turkish perspective being prominent, affecting not just Chapter Two, but also the tenor in much of their writing here. Turkey presently sits outside the US-EU-Japan-Canada-Australia accord, including South Korea, Taiwan and other allied nations with fairly similar per­capita incomes and political systems. Turkey also sits outside those nations noted for being politically inimical to that accord; here, Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are prominent. Of the “double-outsider” nations in neither of these groups, Turkey has perhaps the highest incomes, greatest educational accomplishments and about the most advanced medical industry and medical research community. Its policy-reaching and policy-implementation structure is somewhat typical of double­outsider nations, as is the ongoing nature and breadth of political opposition. For these reasons, Pandemnomics will remain particularly relevant both to understanding of likely future pandemics and to policy consideration in many nations totalling at least a couple billion population. Wealthier nations who seek to help them may also gain by taking notice; for this, I particularly call attention to Part III.

I have known, and deeply respected, Prof. Dr. Bernur Acikgdz for a decade. Well- schooled, she continues to add to her research tools and is a thoughtful, upbeat and persistent scholar. I have not yet had the opportunity to interact with her co-author, Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Attila Acar.

Ronald M. Harstad