Nobel laureates Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo to leave US, move to Zurich amid funding cuts
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Nobel laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo
Experts have been warning that US President Donald Trump’s cuts to research funding and attacks on universities’ academic freedoms could lead to a brain drain, with some countries trying to attract US scientists.
India-born Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, who won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics, are leaving the United States where they are currently working at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and will join the University of Zurich in Switzerland starting July next year. The move of the Nobel laureates from the US comes as experts warn that President Donald Trump’s cuts to research funding and attacks on academic freedoms could cause a brain drain of top minds. As per reports, the couple will set up the Lemann Centre for Development, Education and Public Policy at the University of Zurich. 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 of Zurich ‘thrilled’ to welcome couple
The university announced that both Duflo and 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.
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The couple won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics for their “experimental approach to reducing global poverty.” They shared the award with Michael Kremer. However, the announcement did not explain the reasons for their leaving.
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.
Experts have been warning that Trump’s cuts to research funding and attacks on universities’ academic freedoms could lead to a brain drain, with some countries trying to attract US scientists.
