Klaus Desmet

Klaus Desmet is the Ruth and Kenneth Altshuler Centennial Interdisciplinary Professor of Economics at Southern Methodist University (SMU), affiliated with the Cox School of Business and the Department of Economics. He joined SMU in 2014 after serving on the faculty at Universidad Carlos III in Madrid. His academic roles include Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and Research Fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR).

Desmet holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and an MSc in Business and Engineering from Université catholique de Louvain (Belgium). His research focuses on regional/urban economics, international trade, long-run economic growth, political economy of diversity, and climate change economics. He has been awarded the August Lösch Prize (2010) and the Robert E. Lucas Jr. Prize (2019).

Key research themes include the economic impacts of climate change (e.g., migration dynamics in response to sea-level rise), cultural and ethnic heterogeneity’s role in public policy, and spatial economic development. His work bridges theoretical models with empirical analysis, addressing global challenges like climate adaptation and regional secessionism.

• Education: Ph.D., Stanford University; MSc, Université catholique de Louvain
• Affiliations: NBER, CEPR, UC3M Research Associate
• Teaching: International Trade (PhD), International Macroeconomics (undergraduate)