Abhijit Banerjee is an economist, academic, and Nobel Prize winner committed to using data-driven research to address global poverty. He is the Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at MIT and co-founder of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). His work aims to bridge the gap between rigorous academic research and practical policy application, transforming how governments and institutions fight poverty and inequality worldwide. Together with Duflo and Kremer, he helped establish randomized controlled trials as a standard tool in development economics, now used in thousands of studies worldwide.
Born in India and educated at the University of Calcutta, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Harvard, Banerjee has authored numerous influential books and papers, including Poor Economics and Good Economics for Hard Times, co-written with Esther Duflo. He was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize alongside Duflo and Michael Kremer for pioneering field experiments in development economics. Banerjee has served on the UN’s High-Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, directed documentaries, edited academic volumes, and advises both the Indian government and international organizations. He co-founded J-PAL in 2003 alongside Esther Duflo, whom he later married, and Sendhil Mullainathan, growing it into a global network of hundreds of affiliated researchers. He earned his PhD in Economics from Harvard in 1988.
Abhijit Banerjee’s talks are data-driven, thought-provoking, and globally relevant. He presents complex economic ideas in a way that is both accessible and intellectually rigorous, backed by real-world evidence and field research. His keynotes explore topics such as poverty alleviation, education, development, and the future of global policy. Banerjee engages audiences with clarity and conviction, offering actionable insights for leaders and change-makers. Audiences leave with a clearer sense of which anti-poverty interventions are backed by rigorous evidence and which popular assumptions the data actually contradicts.
A compelling overview of how randomized trials and data can lead to smarter, more effective policies in the global fight against poverty. Abhijit draws on two decades of J-PAL’s randomized evaluations to show which interventions genuinely move the needle on poverty.
Exploring how economic principles can help address today’s most pressing societal and political issues. He applies the same evidence-based lens from his book to questions of trade, immigration, and inequality facing today’s economies.
An in-depth look at how education impacts development, informed by global case studies and policy analysis. He shares field research from multiple continents on what actually improves learning outcomes for children in poverty.
If you are looking for a rigorous, inspiring, and committed speaker for your next event or conference on economic development, you can book Abhijit Banerjee through Thinking Heads. As one of the leading voices in global development and anti-poverty strategy, Abhijit delivers a data-rich and insightful presentation that ensures the best experience for your audience. Contact Thinking Heads today to learn more and secure his participation in your upcoming event.
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