Dear colleagues, This year, the WU Lecture in Economics will be held by Arif Husain, Chief Economist at the UN's World Food Programme on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 6:00pm as part of the WU matters. WU talks series. The Hunger Emergency How global hunger is shaped by complex forces - and why we must act now Arif Husain, Chief Economist & Director of the Analysis, Planning & Performance Division, United Nations World Food Programme As traditional donor support shrinks, vulnerable populations face heightened risks of hunger and malnutrition, especially in conflict-affected and climate-vulnerable regions. What are the escalating challenges of ensuring global food security in the wake of significant international aid cuts? What adaptive strategies exist? What policy responses are necessary to safeguard food systems? And how can we protect the world's most at-risk communities? Date: Wednesday, December 17, 2025 Time: 6:00pm Location: Ceremonial Hall 1, LC building Moderated by: Simon Heß, Assistant Professor of Economics, WU Vienna Further information and sign-up page<https://www.wu.ac.at/en/wumatters/terminkalender/details/detail/feed-the-world> We are looking forward to seeing you there. Cheers Jesus Jesus Crespo Cuaresma Professor of Economics Department Chair Department of Economics Vienna University of Economics and Business Welthandelsplatz 1 1020 Vienna (Austria) E: jcrespo@wu.ac.at<mailto:jcrespo@wu.ac.at> H: https://www.wu.ac.at/en/economics/people/crespo-j