From World Bank prodigy to Columbia president, the turbulent career of Minouche Shafik

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Minouche Shafik has navigated the highest echelons of global finance and academia, from the IMF to the Bank of England. Yet, her tenure as Columbia University president ended in a firestorm of protests and a faculty vote of no-confidence, marking a dramatic pivot in a storied, high-stakes career.

Born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1962, Minouche Shafik’s path to influence began after her family moved to the United States in the mid-1960s. She built a formidable reputation as an economist, becoming the youngest-ever vice president at the World Bank at age 36. Her career is defined by a series of prestigious roles, including deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund and deputy governor of the Bank of England, where she managed a £500 billion balance sheet. In 2020, she became a life peer in the House of Lords.

Shafik’s transition to university leadership included serving as director of the London School of Economics before becoming the 20th president of Columbia University in 2023. Her time at Columbia became defined by the 2024 campus protests regarding the Gaza war. Following her testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce in April 2024, she faced intense pressure from donors, lawmakers, and faculty. Her decision to involve the NYPD to clear student encampments led to over 200 arrests and a formal vote of no-confidence from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

The controversy centered on the tension between maintaining campus order and protecting academic freedom. While critics argued her actions were an assault on student rights, others, including some members of Congress, claimed she failed to adequately address antisemitism. Shafik resigned in August 2024. By early 2025, she had moved back into public service, taking on the leadership of the Victoria and Albert Museum and accepting an appointment as Chief Economic Advisor to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

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