In this talk, Professor Meghir will discuss his work with Philippe Aghion and Ingvild Almas on human capital and development. The research presents empirical evidence showing that investment in human capital has stalled in most low- and middle-income countries. One reason is that human capital is complementary to physical capital investment, and, consequently, a complete picture would need to consider obstacles to investment more broadly. The work develops a simple model of skill accumulation during childhood and uses it to understand the obstacles to investment in human capital. The authors focus on parents' access to resources, distorted beliefs, and the role of female empowerment. The presentation will then discuss the role of government and the quality of education delivered. It will end with a review of interventions that have been designed to address some of these obstacles.

photo of Professor Costas Meghir

Costas Meghir Speaker

Professor of Economics at Yale University

Costas Meghir is the Douglas A. Warner III Professor of Economics at Yale University. He is a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Fellow of the Econometric Society, Fellow of the British Academy, and Fellow of the Society for Labor Economics. He was awarded the Ragnar Frisch medal by the Econometric Society in 2000 and the Bodosakis Foundation prize in 1997. He has been co-editor of Econometrica and joint managing editor of the Economic Journal. His current research is focused on informal labor markets, labor supply and welfare programs, the economics of the family, including marriage markets and intrahousehold allocation of resources, and on human capital and early childhood development

Learn More
Image

Gabriel Demombynes Discussant

Manager of the Human Capital Project at the World Bank

Gabriel Demombynes is the Manager of the Human Capital Project at the World Bank. Gabriel previously held positions based in Bogota, Manila, Hanoi, and Nairobi. He led preparation of Systematic Country Diagnostics for Colombia, the Philippines, and Vietnam as well as the Philippines COVID-19 Emergency Response Health Project. His past analytical work includes studies on nutrition in the Philippines, child survival in Kenya, learning poverty in Colombia, global COVID-19 mortality patterns, Vietnam's household registration system, the Millennium Villages Project, and crime and violence in Central America and the Caribbean. He also developed innovative approaches to surveys in South Sudan. His work has been published in academic journals and cited in the Financial Times, the Washington Post, and Economist magazine.

Learn More
photo of Ivailo Izvorski

Ivailo Izvorski Host & Chair

Chief Economist for the Europe and Central Asia region at the World Bank

Ivailo V. Izvorski is the Chief Economist of the Europe and Central Asia Region of the World Bank. Over nearly 30 years, he has worked in technical and managerial positions on the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, and Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank, the Institute of International Finance, and the International Monetary Fund. Before his current position, Ivailo was the Manager of the World Bank Global Debt, Macro, and Growth Unit and, before that, the manager of the macroeconomists for Europe and Central Asia. Ivailo holds MA and PhD degrees in economics from Yale University. Ivailo is coauthor of numerous publications, including of Diversified Development: Making the Most of Natural Resources in Eurasia, Reinvigorating Growth in Resource-Rich Sub-Saharan Africa, and of Greater Heights: Growing to High Income in Europe and Central Asia. 

Learn More

Related: