Cato Institute Establishes David Boaz Chair to Be Held by Ian Vasquez
Washington, D.C. — November 3, 2025 — The Cato Institute is proud to announce the establishment of the David Boaz Chair. The Chair is named in honor of Cato’s late longtime executive vice president and distinguished senior fellow, who for over four decades helped build the Institute and played a critical role in shaping its mission and voice. Ian Vásquez, vice president for international studies and director of Cato’s Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, has been appointed to occupy the David Boaz Chair.
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Ian is a leading voice at Cato and brings intellectual clarity, integrity, and long-term vision to advancing its principles. Since joining the Institute in 1992, Ian has led research and outreach efforts aimed at promoting classical liberal reforms throughout the world. He is a recognized expert on international development, globalization, and human freedom, and has advised government officials and civil society leaders on market-based reforms that empower individuals and reduce poverty.
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“Ian embodies the spirit and purpose of the David Boaz Chair,” said Peter Goettler, president and CEO of the Cato Institute. “He has been a tireless advocate for economic freedom and individual rights across the globe. His work has made Cato an important voice for liberty around the world, and his leadership continues to influence policy debates in many, many countries.”
Ian is a co-author of the annual Human Freedom Index, editor of Global Fortune: The Stumble and Rise of World Capitalism, co-editor of Perpetuating Poverty: The World Bank, the IMF, and the Developing World, and a frequent media commentator on global economic policy. He is a weekly columnist at El Comercio (Peru), and his articles have appeared in newspapers throughout the United States and Latin America.
The Cato Institute congratulates Ian on this well-deserved honor and looks forward to his continued leadership in the years ahead.
About the Cato Institute
The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Founded in 1977, Cato works to create a free and open society in which liberty allows every individual to pursue a life of prosperity and meaning in peace.
