2024 SSRC Katznelson Fellow Lecture: The Economist as Plumber

In this Social Science Research Council Katznelson Fellow Lecture, Nobel Prize-winner Esther Duflo of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will share her experience working in collaboration with policymakers in the developing world, and highlight the critical role of bringing a “plumbing” mindset to policy-relevant research: a mindset where policymakers realize that any program has so many dimensions that it is very difficult to get them all right, and where there is a need for constant experimentation and tinkering for policies to reach their full potential.

Duflo is the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics in the Department of Economics at MIT, co-founder and co-director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and Chaire, Pauvreté et politiques publiques, Collège de France. In her research, she seeks to understand the economic lives of the poor, with the aim of helping design and evaluate social policies. She has worked on health, education, financial inclusion, environment and governance. Her numerous honors include the 2019 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, the John Bates Clark Medal, and a MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship. Her books include Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty, which has been translated into more than 17 languages, and Good Economics for Hard Times.

The Social Science Research Council’s Katznelson Fellow Prize was created in honor of former SSRC President and Board Member Ira Katznelson, Ruggles Professor of Political Science and History and Deputy Director of Columbia World Projects, Columbia University. The Katznelson Fellow Lecture recognizes distinguished scholars who exemplify innovation in the social and behavioral sciences.