Dr. Aneta A. Teperek —  an academic researcher in international economics and a long-standing private sector entrepreneur. Her profound interest in small economies, combined with numerous business visits to many of them, inspired her to conduct in-depth research on the smallest economies in the world, which collectively generated just 1% of global GDP. This research led to her doctoral thesis examining the participation of 93 such economies in globalization, followed by two years of postdoctoral studies that focused on the tourism sector in these countries, and a one-year research project on poverty in the smallest African economies. Moreover, Aneta has authored three academic books analyzing the factors influencing the economic development of the world’s smallest economies. The first, Economic Development in the World’s Smallest Economies: How Geography, Demographics, and Culture Define Economic Activity, focuses on geographical, demographic, and cultural determinants. The second, Long-Term Economic Growth in the World’s Smallest Economies: Historical, Political, and Economic Aspects, examines historical, political, international, and economic influences. In her third book, 93 Countries, but Only 1% of Global GDP: Intensity of Integration of the World’s Smallest Economies into the Global Economy, she investigates the extent of these economies’ integration into the global economy using a variety of economic, financial, and social measurmenst. This extensive and long-term research became both the foundation and the motivation for establishing OSEW.