Ricardo Hausmann

Ricardo Hausmann is the Rafik Hariri Professor of the Practice of International Political Economy at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) and Director of the Growth Lab at the Center for International Development (CID). He leads research on economic growth, development strategies, and the design of effective policies for diversification and competitiveness. His work integrates economic complexity theory, growth diagnostics, and sanctions analysis, influencing global policy debates on topics ranging from climate transition to geopolitical conflicts.

Education: Ph.D. in Economics from Cornell University. Former roles include Chief Economist of the Inter-American Development Bank (1994–2000), Venezuela's Minister of Planning (1992–1993), and academic positions at IESA in Caracas. Current affiliations include HKS's Center for International Development and Women and Public Policy Program.

Research focuses on innovative frameworks like Growth Diagnostics, Economic Complexity, and policy responses to crises. Key themes include sanctions effectiveness (Russia/Venezuela), industrial policy for green transitions, and leveraging capabilities for development. Over 50 research initiatives in 30 countries demonstrate applied policy impact.

Awards: His work has been cited 47,000+ times, featured in major media outlets. Recent projects include analyses of Wyoming's economic challenges, Lebanon's recovery, and Morocco's development strategy.

Grants & Advising: Principal investigator for projects funded by entities like the World Bank, EU, and private foundations. Active in policy dialogues with governments and international organizations worldwide.

Labs/Teams: Growth Lab at CID, which develops tools like the Product Space and Opportunity Atlas for policymakers. Collaborates with global partners on data-driven growth strategies.