Francesco Loiacono is a PhD candidate in Economics at the Institute for International Economic Studies (IIES) at Stockholm University. His main research is in development economics, with special focus on private sector development, corruption and conflict. He currently runs several projects in Uganda and Myanmar and he is the recipient of different international research grants. He holds a BSc and a MSc in Economics from Bocconi University. Prior to joining the IIES, he worked as a senior researcher for BRAC in Uganda, as a consultant for the World Bank in Nigeria, as a project manager for an NGO in Senegal, and as a researcher for UNCTAD in Geneva.