Yuliya Smolyar is a Senior Social Protection Specialist in the World Bank Regional Office for Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, working on social assistance and pension policy. In Moldova, she manages a project to improve equity and efficiency of the social safety net and leads the pension policy dialogue. She is involved in similar operational and policy tasks in Ukraine. Yuliya holds a PhD in public finance management, and Master’s in Economics. Prior to joining the World Bank she was a researcher in public finance issues. In her free time she enjoys swimming, reading and doing outdoor activities with her son.