Professor Emeritus Sylvain Plasschaert is a distinguished Belgian economist, academic and member of the Advisory Board of the European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS). He holds degrees in philosophy, law and economics from KU Leuven, as well as a Master of Laws from Harvard University. His career has combined academia, international economic policy and public finance, with appointments at the World Bank, the University of Antwerp and KU Leuven.
Throughout his academic career, Professor Plasschaert specialised in development economics, international taxation, public finance, multinational enterprises and the economic development of Asia, with a particular focus on China. In 1985, he became one of the first Europeans to teach finance in China. He has served as a consultant to the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and numerous governments, undertaking advisory missions across Asia, Africa and Europe. He has also authored several influential books and publications on international taxation, European integration and China’s economic transformation.