Joel Andreas is a Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University since 2003, serving as Program Director of the East Asian Studies Program. His research focuses on political contention, social inequality, and social change in contemporary China. He holds a PhD in Sociology from UCLA and teaches social theory, political sociology, and courses on Chinese society. He has held visiting positions at universities including the University of Sydney, Hong Kong University, and Ningxia University. His work examines labor movements, rural land policies, and class dynamics in China. Recent research includes analyses of staff-worker congresses, rural land dispossession, and the persistence of militarism in U.S. policy. He critiques market reforms and explores the legacy of the Cultural Revolution. Andreas has contributed to debates on China’s transition to capitalism and the decline of socialist systems. His publications span topics from urbanization to state coercion in rural development. He maintains an active role in academic exchanges and policy-relevant research on China’s socio-political landscape.
Esther Duflo is the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is also co-founder and co-director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), holds the Chaire, Pauvreté et politiques publiques at the Collège de France, and serves as President of the Paris School of Economics. Her research focuses on understanding the economic lives of people living in poverty to help design and evaluate social policies. Her work spans multiple domains including: Development Economics Poverty Alleviation strategies Health interventions Educational programs Financial inclusion initiatives Environmental policy Governance improvements Duflo revolutionized developmental economics by pioneering the use of randomized controlled trials to test poverty reduction measures. Her empirical approach has challenged conventional opinions about development and has helped improve the efficient use of resources in poverty alleviation programs worldwide. She co-authored the influential books "Poor Economics" and "Good Economics for Hard Times" with Abhijit Banerjee, demonstrating through field experiments how specific interventions (like providing lentils to mothers for child immunization) can dramatically improve social outcomes. Her notable scientific achievements include: Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel (2019) Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences (2015) Infosys Prize (2014) John Bates Clark Medal (2010) MacArthur "Genius Grant" Fellowship (2009) A.SK Social Science Award (2015) Duflo has established J-PAL as a global network of over a hundred affiliated professors who use scientific evidence to inform policy decisions in the fight against poverty. J-PAL has offices across Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, and South and Southeast Asia. Her work has demonstrated the crucial importance of information in policymaking, with numerous field experiments showing how carefully designed interventions can have significant impacts on social outcomes across multiple domains including health, education, and economic opportunity.
Professor Jo Barraket is a leading academic and researcher in social equity, social innovation, and public policy. As Director of the Melbourne Social Equity Institute and member of the Dilun Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership, she focuses on improving social equity through organizational innovation, cross-sector collaboration, and policy design. Her research addresses social procurement, health equity, digital inclusion, and employment pathways for marginalized groups. Her work includes landmark projects such as the Australian Digital Inclusion Index and evaluations of Commonwealth Social Enterprise Development Funds. She has secured over $11M in research grants, including multiple ARC grants, and produced over 75 scholarly publications. Her current projects compare social procurement policies in Australia and Scotland, and study youth unemployment in construction via employment-focused procurement. Key research themes include: social enterprise scaling strategies, cross-sector partnerships for policy implementation, and the role of philanthropy in equitable housing. She advises governments and OECD on inclusive employment policies and chairs major research initiatives like the Social Enterprise Impact Lab. Prof Barraket’s transdisciplinary approach combines rigorous academic research with practical outputs like policy guides and digital tools to maximize societal impact. She previously founded the Centre for Social Impact Swinburne, now a global leader in social economy research.
Prof. Sergio Ginebri is an Associate Professor at the Department of Jurisprudence, University of Rome Tre. He holds a PhD in Economics from Sapienza University of Rome and has extensive experience in fiscal policy, pension systems, and public finance research. His work focuses on topics like pension sustainability, social inequality, and the political economy of public debt. Education: PhD in Economics, Sapienza University of Rome (1988–1992) MA in Economics, University of Warwick (1987–1988) Laurea in Statistics and Demography, Sapienza University of Rome (1977–1984) Research Interests: Prof. Ginebri specializes in public policy, fiscal sustainability, and the social impacts of pension reforms. His research explores how demographic trends, wealth distribution, and political dynamics shape economic policies. Recent work includes analyses of longevity risks, pension equity, and fiscal policy integration in the EU. Key Projects: Coordinated studies on pension system sustainability (2002–2018) Developed models for forecasting public pension expenditure Contributed to EU tax policy observatories Awards: Recipient of the national PhD award (1994) and recognition for academic excellence in tax policy research (2001). Teaching: Teaches courses in political economy, public finance, and macroeconomics at undergraduate and graduate levels.
Professor Michael Ben-Gad is a Professor of Economics at City, University of London, where he has served since 2009. He previously held roles as Head of the Department of Economics (2010–2013) and Deputy Head (2008–2010). His research focuses on dynamic macroeconomics, taxation, public debt, immigration economics, and national security, with notable contributions to endogenous growth models and compositional data econometrics. He holds a PhD from the University of Chicago (1996) and has taught at institutions including the University of Houston and University of Haifa. Ben-Gad served on the U.S. National Academy of Sciences panel on immigration's economic and fiscal impacts (2014–2016) and received a 2017 Fellowship from the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). His work spans academic journals (Economic Modelling, Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control) and media outlets (BBC, CNBC, Al Jazeera), addressing topics like Brexit economics, fiscal policy, and geopolitical challenges. He co-convenes the City Branch of Academics for Academic Freedom and is a founding member of London Universities' Council for Academic Freedom. His research grants include funding from HM Treasury/ESRC on fiscal policy and immigration (2011), the Israel Science Foundation (2007–2008), and the Samuel Ne'eman Foundation (2004). Professional roles include editorial board membership for Economic Affairs and membership of the ESRC Grant Assessment Panel (2021). He is proficient in Hebrew and contributes to policy debates on taxation, macroprudential frameworks, and defense economics.
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyUnited States
Abhijit Banerjee is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research focuses on development economics, public health policy, and social protection programs, particularly addressing poverty and inequality in low- and middle-income countries. He has conducted large-scale experiments evaluating interventions such as conditional cash transfers, universal basic income, and healthcare policies. Key areas of interest include the design and implementation of anti-poverty programs, behavioral economics, and the long-term health impacts of infectious diseases like COVID-19. His work often integrates experimental methods to assess policy effectiveness, with contributions to global health studies and economic development strategies. Notably, his research on the RECOVERY trial evaluates treatments for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, while other studies explore financial spillover effects of electronic government transfers in Indonesia and savings behavior interventions in Chile. Banerjee has collaborated on projects analyzing post-COVID-19 health outcomes, labor market dynamics in India, and the role of trusted messengers in public health communication during crises. Despite the breadth of his contributions, specific details about his educational background, grants, or lab affiliations are not explicitly provided in the source text.
Aarti Singh is a Professor in the Machine Learning Department at Carnegie Mellon University and Director of the NSF AI Institute for Societal Decision Making. She leads research at the intersection of machine learning, statistics, and decision making, with applications to scientific and societal domains. Her work focuses on designing principled interactive algorithms for learning and decision making under uncertainty. Education: Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2008) M.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2003) B.E. in Electronics and Communication Engineering, University of Delhi (2001) Research Interests: Professor Singh's research centers on developing interactive machine learning algorithms that go beyond finding input-output associations to make higher-level decisions about the most informative data and actions. Her work spans autonomous decision making, including active sampling, stochastic optimization, bandits, and reinforcement learning that are statistically optimal, computationally tractable, and robust. She also investigates human factors in decision making, designing algorithms that model and leverage human feedback while accounting for bias, memory effects, and calibration. Her research has applications in material science, cosmology, and peer review systems. Research Trends: Professor Singh's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on reinforcement learning, particularly in developing more efficient and robust algorithms for decision making under uncertainty. Her work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications, spanning from fundamental algorithm development to real-world implementation in scientific domains. There's a clear trajectory toward integrating human factors into decision-making algorithms, with significant contributions to peer review systems and preference learning. Scientific Awards: NSF Career Award United States Air Force Young Investigator Award A. Nico Habermann Faculty Chair Award Harold A. Peterson Best Dissertation Award Multiple paper awards Advising and Grants: Professor Singh has advised numerous PhD and master's students, many of whom have gone on to faculty positions or research roles at leading institutions. Her research is supported by prestigious grants from ONR, Simons Foundation, AFRL, ARL, and NSF. She serves as General Chair (2025) and Program Chair (2020) for the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML) and has held leadership roles in multiple professional organizations. Research Team: Professor Singh leads a vibrant research group within the Machine Learning Department at CMU, with current PhD students working on topics including reinforcement learning, human-AI collaboration, and decision making under uncertainty. She also directs the NSF AI Institute for Societal Decision Making, which brings together researchers from multiple disciplines to develop AI systems that support human decision making in societal contexts.
Luke J Davies is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Oxford. His research focuses on Kant’s moral and political philosophy, particularly exploring the interplay between duties to self and the legitimate role of the state. He previously held a fellowship in the Department of Government at the London School of Economics (2018–2022). Education: PhD in Philosophy, University of Oxford (2014–2019) BPhil in Philosophy, University of Oxford (2012–2014) BA in Philosophy, University of Toronto (2006–2011) His research interests include Kantian ethics, political philosophy, rights theory, and the philosophical foundations of state legitimacy. Current work examines how duties to self shape interpersonal moral obligations within Kantian frameworks. Key Themes in Publications: Recurring topics include Kant’s theories of property, citizenship, welfare, and cosmopolitanism, with a focus on reconciling individual autonomy with collective moral obligations. Recent work extends to the state of nature, cosmopolitan law, and active citizenship in republican frameworks. Awards: Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship (2022–2025) His academic trajectory combines rigorous engagement with Kantian texts and contemporary applications of classical philosophy to political and ethical dilemmas.
Josh Seim is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Boston College, affiliated with the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences. His work focuses on the sociologies of work, medicine, welfare, punishment, pedagogy, and ethnographic methods. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and has published widely in top journals including *American Sociological Review* and *Social Problems*. Education: B.A., Gonzaga University M.S., Portland State University Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley Research Interests: His research explores how institutions like healthcare systems, welfare offices, and penal institutions interact with urban poverty. Recent projects include studies on ambulance crews’ labor processes, welfare bureaucracy, and post-prison labor. His writing also emphasizes pedagogical innovation in sociology teaching and ethnographic methodological rigor. Key themes include the governance of suffering, medical labor, and carceral systems. Publications & Books: Bandage, Sort, and Hustle: Ambulance Crews on the Front Lines of Urban Suffering (UC Press, 2020) The Welfare Assembly Line: Public Servants in the Suffering City (forthcoming UC Press, 2026) Teaching: Sociology 7715: Classical Sociological Theory (graduate) Sociology 7716: Contemporary Sociological Theory (graduate)
Emily Hannum is a Professor of Sociology and Education at the University of Pennsylvania's College of Arts & Sciences, where she also serves as Associate Dean for Social Sciences. She is affiliated with the Population Studies Center, Center for the Study of Contemporary China, Graduate School of Education, and Penn Development Research Initiative. Education: PhD in Sociology from University of Michigan (1998) Research Focus: Poverty and child welfare, gender and ethnic stratification, sociology of education Projects: Gansu Survey of Children and Families, climate-environment-childhood inequalities in LMICs Workshops: Co-organizer of Penn Education and Inequality Workshop Her research explores childhood poverty in China, demographic impacts on education systems, and climate risks affecting children's welfare. She investigates environmental hazards, educational disparities, and family separation effects across China, India, and low/middle-income countries. Recent publications analyze educational expansion in East Asia, climate crisis impacts on child health, and gender disparities in Latin America. She directs longitudinal studies on rural poverty and collaborates on cross-national projects related to environmental and educational equity. Scientific awards include the Stanley I. Sheerr Term Professorship in Social Sciences.
Mauro Bambi is an Associate Professor at Durham University Business School and an Associate Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Studies. His research focuses on Macroeconomic Theory, Endogenous Growth, Habit Formation, and Behavioral Economics. He earned his PhD from the European University Institute (2007) and held positions at ETH Zurich and the University of York. He directs the Centre for Macroeconomic Policy (CEMAP) and has been recognized with the 2008 Italian Association of Applied Mathematics award for his PhD thesis. Education: PhD in Economics (European University Institute, 2007); Postdoctoral Fellowships at Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium) and ETH Zurich (Switzerland). Research Interests: Macroeconomic Theory and Policy Design Endogenous Growth and Fluctuations Habit Formation in Economic Models Behavioral Economic Preferences Mathematical Methods in Macroeconomics Key Contributions: His work on habit formation models, time-to-build frameworks, and policy design has influenced macroeconomic theory. Recent studies analyze post-COVID demand shifts and pandemic economic impacts. Awards: 2008 Graduate Prize for Best PhD Thesis (Italian Association of Applied Mathematics). Advising and Leadership: Supervised PhD students like Federico Bertoni and Xinyi Xu. Directed CEMAP from 2019–2022, fostering macroeconomic policy research. Active in interdisciplinary collaborations at the Institute of Advanced Studies. Labs/Teams: Leader of CEMAP, collaborating with global institutions on macroeconomic policy analysis.
Alexandra Horowitz is a Senior Research Fellow and Adjunct Associate Professor at Barnard College. She has been teaching since 2004, specializing in dog cognition and olfactory research. Her academic roles span the Departments of English and Psychology, reflecting her interdisciplinary focus on animal behavior and human-animal interactions. Education: M.S. and Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from UC San Diego; B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. Research interests include naturalistic observations of dog social play, testing anthropomorphic assumptions, and characterizing canine olfactory abilities. She has authored influential books like Inside of a Dog and Being a Dog , exploring how dogs perceive the world. Her work frequently appears in top journals and media outlets, including the New York Times and TED-Ed. Recent articles highlight studies on dog navigation, play behavior, and olfactory perception. She has been recognized as among the Top 2% of Cited Authors globally. Her presentations and lectures span academic conferences, museums, and public forums, emphasizing science communication.
Ariel Pakes is the Thomas Professor of Economics at Harvard University, part of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Economics. He previously held the Charles and Dorothea Dilley Professorship at Yale University and tenured roles at institutions including the University of Wisconsin and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His research focuses on industrial organization (I.O.), the economics of technological change, and econometric theory. Pakes has advised notable students who now lead economics departments globally and has received prestigious awards including the Frisch Medal (1986) and election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2002). Education: Pakes earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University in 1980. His academic journey includes roles as a lecturer at Harvard and positions at the University of Jerusalem. Research Interests: Pakes has pioneered methodologies for analyzing I.O. models, including demand and cost system estimation. Recent work examines AI’s impact on pricing strategies, antitrust policy implications of market dynamics, and healthcare cost structures. His theoretical contributions include simulation estimators and frameworks for dynamic oligopolies. Awards: Frisch Medal (Econometric Society, 1986) Fellow of the Econometric Society (1988) Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2002) Best Graduate Student Advisor Award (Yale University, 1996) Advisory and Grants: Pakes has served on NSF panels, including the Economics Advisory Panel and Presidential Fellow Advisory Board. His consulting work spans government agencies and large firms. He edited the RAND Journal of Economics and co-chaired the AEA Census Advisory Panel. Labs/Teams: Collaborates with NBER as a Research Associate and contributes to interdisciplinary projects like the PNAS issue on 'Science, Technology and the Economy.'
Per Krusell is Professor of Economics at Stockholm University and holds the Torsten and Ragnar Söderberg Chair at the Institute for International Economic Studies (IIES). He is a Fellow of the Econometric Society and served as President of the European Economic Association in 2020. He is currently the Secretary of the Prize Committee for the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. Education: PhD in Economics, University of Minnesota Research Interests: Per Krusell’s research spans macroeconomics , inequality , climate economics , labor markets , and political economy . He has made foundational contributions to understanding incomplete markets, wealth distribution, optimal taxation, and the macroeconomic effects of climate change. His work often integrates dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models with heterogeneous agents to study long-run outcomes and policy impacts. Publications Trend: His recent publications (2022–2025) reflect a strong focus on climate policy , integrated assessment modeling , and macro-labor dynamics . Key themes include carbon taxation, labor supply responses to productivity growth, fiscal multipliers in heterogeneous-agent settings, and the macroeconomic consequences of vaccination and epidemic control. Awards & Honors: Fellow of the Econometric Society Torsten and Ragnar Söderberg Chair in Economics President, European Economic Association (2020) Secretary, Nobel Prize Committee in Economic Sciences Advising & Grants: While specific student names are not listed, his leadership roles in global economic associations and policy committees indicate extensive academic advising and grant involvement in macroeconomic policy and climate economics. Labs & Teams: He is affiliated with the Institute for International Economic Studies (IIES) at Stockholm University, a leading research institute in macroeconomics and international economics.
Rodrigo Carril is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Economics and Business at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) and an Affiliated Professor at the Barcelona School of Economics (BSE). His research focuses on Public Economics and Industrial Organization, particularly examining public procurement policies and their economic impacts. He holds a PhD in Economics from Stanford University (2020) and is a Juan de la Cierva Researcher. Education: PhD in Economics, Stanford University (2020). His work explores topics such as pharmaceutical market dynamics, defense contracting efficiency, and regulatory frameworks for public procurement. He has received prestigious awards including the Claire and Ralph Landau Prize (2020) and the Young Economists' Essay Award (2022). Key research trends include analyzing procurement policies' effects on competition, evaluating preference programs for disadvantaged groups, and methodological contributions to econometric techniques like regression discontinuity designs. Awards: Claire and Ralph Landau Prize 2020 Young Economists' Essay Award 2022 Advising and Grants: While specific grants aren’t listed, his collaborative work involves co-authors like Claudia Allende, Mark Duggan, and Andres Gonzalez-Lira, indicating active academic partnerships. He is affiliated with the BSE and contributes to policy-oriented research initiatives. Labs/Teams: Engaged in interdisciplinary projects at UPF and BSE, focusing on public sector efficiency and regulatory economics.
