James Foster

James Foster is the Oliver T. Carr, Jr. Professor of International Affairs and Professor of Economics at George Washington University (GWU), serving as full-time faculty. He is also a Research Associate at the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford. His research focuses on welfare economics, poverty measurement, economic inequality, and multidimensional poverty indices.

Dr. Foster holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Cornell University and a Doctorate Honoris Causa from Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo (Mexico). His work underpins global indices like the UNDP’s Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI). He has collaborated with renowned scholars such as Amartya Sen and Sabina Alkire.

His research interests include welfare economics, poverty dynamics, and inequality, with notable contributions like the FGT Index (1984) and the Alkire-Foster method for multidimensional poverty. He teaches courses on economic development and development economics at GWU and is affiliated with the Global Food Institute.

Scientific awards include the Doctorate Honoris Causa. His work bridges academic rigor with policy impact, guiding national and international poverty reduction strategies. Current projects explore social mobility, labor market inequities, and statistical capacity measurement.