Nobel Prize Winner at the Faculty of Economics at UZH
Nobel Prize winners Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee will join the University of Zurich in July 2026. With third-party funding from the Lemann Foundation, the couple will establish a center for development economics, education, and policy making. (Text: UZH News, image: Bryce Vickmark)
The University of Zurich welcomes two pioneers in the field of development economics: Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee. Both are currently working at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and will be joining the Faculty of Economics at the University of Zurich (UZH) in July 2026. In 2019, the couple, together with Michael Kremer, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.
Two new endowed professorships
Duflo and Banerjee will each take on an endowed professorship funded by the Lemann Foundation. At the University of Zurich, the economists will continue their research in development economics and the effectiveness of policy measures and interventions in the areas of education, poverty, and health.
“We are delighted to have attracted these globally influential researchers to UZH,” says President Michael Schaepman. “Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee combine scientific theory with social impact in their research, which is also a central concern for UZH. Their presence strengthens the values and international visibility of our university.”
Policy-relevant research for development and education
At the Department of Economics at the University of Zurich, Duflo and Banerjee will jointly establish and head the Lemann Center for Development, Education, and Public Policy. The center aims to promote policy-relevant research and connect education policymakers worldwide. A particular focus will be on fostering relationships between UZH and researchers and policymakers in Brazil.
The two researchers also plan to expand the ADEPT program at UZH: ADEPT offers access to high-quality online courses and face-to-face instruction for individuals who qualify based on their academic performance. It was originally launched by J-PAL, a global network of universities that teaches students and practitioners state-of-the-art methods of program evaluation and development research. The Lemann Center also plans to offer new master's degree programs and scholarships for Brazilian students.
The establishment of the Lemann Center and the two endowed professorships has been made possible by a donation of CHF 26 million from the Lemann Foundation. The Lemann Foundation is a non-profit foundation based in São Paulo. It is committed to ensuring that scientific findings are incorporated into concrete education and development policy – in Brazil and beyond.
Jorge Paulo Lemann comments: “I am delighted about this new partnership, which will add another outstanding center of learning to our philanthropic initiative in the field of education. It reflects my strong confidence in Brazil and Switzerland, as well as in the power that can arise from close cooperation between the two countries. That is why it has special significance for me and my family.”
Excellent environment, strengthened faculty
“The new Lemann Center will enable us to continue and expand our work, which bridges academic research, student support, and evidence-based development economics,” says Duflo. The new center of excellence for research and teaching in the field of development economics will work closely with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), co-founded by Duflo and Banerjee – a global network with over 1,000 researchers and branches on every continent, including one in São Paulo, Brazil.
“I look forward to further strengthening the University of Zurich's Faculty of Economics,” says Banerjee. “We are convinced that the University of Zurich will provide us with an excellent environment to continue our research in the coming years.” He and his wife have been working closely with the Department of Economics for many years, where several professors conduct research on education and development economics.
Florian Scheuer, Head of the Department of Economics, adds: “The appointment of Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee is a great asset to our department. As a student at MIT, I already had the opportunity to experience first-hand their extraordinary commitment to supporting students and teachers and to building institutions.”
Background
Esther Duflo is currently a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she holds the Abdul Latif Jameel Chair in Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics. She also holds the Chair of Poverty and Public Policy at the Collège de France and is President of the Paris School of Economics. She is a fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Econometric Society.
Abhijit Banerjee is currently Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 2003, he co-founded the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) with Esther Duflo and Sendhil Mullainathan, which he co-directs. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Econometric Society.
Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee will continue to co-direct J-PAL. They will retain part-time positions at MIT. In addition, Esther Duflo will resume her teaching position at the Collège de France in Paris.
Source: UZH News