Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia

Esther Duflo is the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics at MIT and a co‑founder and co‑director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J‑PAL). She is a Nobel Prize–winning economist recognized for her pioneering work using randomized controlled trials to study poverty alleviation and development policy. Duflo’s research addresses issues such as education, health, and social protection in developing countries, combining rigorous field experiments with policy-relevant insights. She has authored numerous influential books and articles, including Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty.