The University of Zurich (UZH) has announced a landmark academic partnership that promises to redefine the landscape of development economics and public policy research. Esteemed economists Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee, both recipients of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics, are set to join the Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics at UZH in July 2026. Currently based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), these pioneering scholars are renowned for their innovative experimental approaches to understanding and alleviating global poverty, which have significantly influenced contemporary economic thought and development practices worldwide.
Both Duflo and Banerjee will assume prestigious endowed professorships generously funded by the Lemann Foundation, a non-profit organization headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil. This substantial philanthropic contribution, amounting to CHF 26 million, underscores the Foundation’s commitment to transforming rigorous scientific research into practical educational and developmental policies, especially targeted at Brazil’s socio-economic challenges but with broader global applications. The endowed chairs will empower these economists to deepen their empirical investigations into critical areas such as education, poverty reduction, and health interventions, while simultaneously focusing on enhancing the efficacy of policy measures worldwide.
In conjunction with the professorships, the two researchers will co-establish the Lemann Center for Development, Education, and Public Policy within UZH’s Department of Economics. This center aims to catalyze policy-relevant academic research, cultivate innovative educational programs centered on program evaluation and public policy, and strengthen bilateral connections between Swiss and Brazilian research communities and policymakers. The establishment of the Lemann Center heralds a new era for the Department of Economics by embedding an interdisciplinary hub that intersects rigorous quantitative research with actionable social policy development.
A hallmark of this initiative is its emphasis on cutting-edge educational programs. Duflo and Banerjee intend to expand the ADEPT program—originally borne out of J-PAL, the global research network they helped co-found. ADEPT provides selective access to advanced online courses and immersive residential education, training participants in state-of-the-art methodologies related to development economics and policy evaluation. By introducing ADEPT at UZH alongside novel Master’s level courses and scholarship opportunities, particularly for Brazilian students, the university is poised to become a global nexus for cultivating the next generation of development economists and public policy experts.
The collaborative vision is further accentuated by the commitment to integrate the Lemann Center’s operations with J-PAL’s extensive global research network, which boasts over 1,000 affiliated economists worldwide. This alliance facilitates both intellectual exchange and practical implementation of research findings in diverse socio-economic contexts. Such a partnership ensures that the research cultivated at UZH will remain deeply connected to groundbreaking empirical practices and real-world policy transformations, particularly in education and poverty alleviation.
Esther Duflo, who currently holds prominent academic roles at MIT, the Collège de France, and the Paris School of Economics, elucidates the center’s mission as a fusion of rigorous scientific inquiry, effective student mentorship, and direct global policy engagement. Her approach synthesizes microeconomic experimentation with transformative social impact, emphasizing methodologies that unpack complex systemic problems related to poverty, health, and education.
Abhijit Banerjee, equally distinguished as the Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at MIT and a co-founder of J-PAL, articulates enthusiasm about joining UZH. He emphasizes that the university’s intellectual ambiance and infrastructure provide a fertile environment for furthering innovative research and policy interventions. Their affiliation marks a strategic enhancement of UZH’s global academic stature, propelling its Department of Economics to unprecedented prominence on the world stage.
The significance of this academic milestone is echoed by Florian Scheuer, head of UZH’s Department of Economics, who describes the appointments as a “quantum leap” for the department. Scheuer highlights not only their trailblazing research but also their dedication to nurturing talent and institution building—qualities that promise to leave an enduring legacy at Zurich. This sentiment reflects the transformative potential such intellectual leadership holds for a university that is positioning itself at the vanguard of socially impactful economic research.
The scholarly profiles of Duflo and Banerjee are distinguished by their pioneering work in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which have revolutionized development economics. By empirically testing the efficacy of specific interventions through rigorous field experiments, they have established novel standards for evidence-based policy-making. Their methodology, which bridges microeconomic theory and quantitative rigor, has informed numerous successful initiatives aimed at improving educational access, healthcare delivery, and poverty alleviation in low-income regions.
Upon joining UZH, they will maintain part-time roles at MIT and Duflo will continue teaching at the Collège de France, signifying a truly global academic footprint. Their ongoing leadership of J-PAL ensures the sustained influence of their research and networks, while also enabling a symbiotic relationship between UZH and one of the most influential centers in development economics worldwide.
This strategic academic alliance underpinned by substantial philanthropic investment symbolizes a paradigm shift toward integrating high-caliber economic research with effective policy execution. The partnership reflects a model for modern academia, where interdisciplinary collaboration, global connectivity, and empirical validation collectively drive progress in addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our time: poverty, education inequity, and health disparities.
As the Lemann Center takes shape, it is expected to become a beacon for scholars and policymakers dedicated to advancing understanding of socio-economic development processes and crafting interventions that produce sustainable improvements at scale. The center’s focus on fostering ties between Swiss and Brazilian entities reflects an innovative approach to international collaboration, leveraging complementary strengths to amplify research impact.
In summary, the forthcoming arrival of Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee at the University of Zurich represents a monumental enhancement to the university’s academic landscape and the field of development economics. This dynamic convergence of world-renowned expertise, philanthropic support, and institutional vision ensures that UZH will play a pivotal role in shaping future economic policies that aim to alleviate poverty and enhance educational and health outcomes globally. The establishment of the Lemann Center heralds a new chapter in evidence-based economic research and its translation into impactful public policy, setting new standards for academic excellence and societal relevance.
Subject of Research: Development Economics, Experimental Policy Evaluation, Poverty Alleviation, Education and Health Interventions
Article Title: Nobel Laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee to Join University of Zurich, Launching Pioneering Lemann Center for Development Economics
News Publication Date: Not specified (Announced prior to their July 2026 appointment)
Web References: University of Zurich media relations (mediarelations@kommunikation.uzh.ch)
Keywords: Developmental economics, Educational programs, Poverty alleviation, Policy evaluation, Experimental economics, Public policy, Randomized controlled trials, Education and health interventions, Higher education, International academic collaboration
