Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee, who won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics, will join the University of Zurich in Switzerland starting July next year. The move from the US comes as experts warn that President Donald Trump’s cuts to research funding and attacks on academic freedom could cause a brain drain of top scientists. At the University of Zurich, the couple will set up the Lemann Centre for Development, Education and Public Policy. The centre aims to connect researchers and policymakers to help reduce poverty and improve education worldwide.
Both economists will hold special professorships funded by the Lemann Foundation, enabling them to continue their research that links academic study with real-world policy changes.
University 'thrilled' to welcome couple
The university announced that both Duflo and Indian-born Banerjee will hold endowed professorships at UZH, supported by the Lemann Foundation.
They will also create and jointly lead the new Lemann Centre for Development, Education and Public Policy, which aims to promote research that influences policy and connects scholars with education policymakers worldwide.
University president Michael Schaepman expressed his excitement, saying, “We are thrilled to welcome two of the world’s most influential economists to UZH.” Duflo added that the Lemann Centre will allow them, while keeping part-time roles at MIT, to expand their work that combines academic research, mentoring students, and making a real difference in public policy.
Nobel Prize in Economics
The couple, along with Michael Kremer, received the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics for their “experimental approach to reducing global poverty.” However, the announcement did not explain their reasons for leaving.
Duflo speaks out against US science attacks
Duflo, who has US and French citizenship, has publicly criticised what she calls “unprecedented attacks” on American science. She and Banerjee will keep part-time roles at MIT while working in Switzerland.
