Mind your own business, Sir. Bangladesh does not have a minority problem—we had a political problem, one largely created by your support for an autocrat. You supported election rigging and human rights violations in 🇧🇩. Bangladesh is home to all religions—Hindus, Buddhist,
Spoke to
@POTUS
@JoeBiden
on phone today. We had a detailed exchange of views on various regional and global issues, including the situation in Ukraine. I reiterated India’s full support for early return of peace and stability.
We also discussed the situation in Bangladesh and
Stop publishing trash. Before spreading misinformation and disinformation, take the time to educate yourself. You clearly have no understanding of Bangladesh. We have never elected a PM who came to power by demolishing mosques and building temples. Get your facts straight
Unelected "advisers" with an Islamist bigot installed in an army-backed regime is "democracy".
Hinduphobia is so deep in academia that it's frightening. It's just one small step away from directly enabling genocidal attacks of the kind we are witnessing in Bangladesh.
Chess training reduces the level of risk aversion, improves math scores and reduces the incidence of time inconsistency. New Paper (w/ W. Lee and A. Nicholas). Lee was a national chess master in Singapore.
@Zaffar_Nama
Know the fact, please: Bangladesh becomes 4th largest remittance source for India. As of recent estimates, the number of Indian workers in Bangladesh is significant, with various reports indicating a range between 500,000 to 1 million. Many of these workers are employed in
My first paper on India. Many more is coming soon!! We study random dorm assignment in Kolkata. Results: High-ability students gain more from higher-ability peers. Assortative matching on ability but asymmetric matching on background works better.
Started working as the Director of the
@CDES_Monash
(Centre for Development Economics and Sustainability); humbled and excited to have the opportunities to build the CDES at Monash. We will be in the market to hire development economists. Stay tuned.
Children who were taught the game of chess, and played regularly, were more likely to be less risk averse than their peers. Results showed chess could also help children boost arithmetic and rational thinking skills.
This piece is utter nonsense. The author clearly has no understanding of Bangladesh. Stop spreading this blatant misinformation and disinformation. Educate yourself about Bangladesh before writing such garbage
Using a playbook tested out in various theatres across the world, American methods of state-led interference have proven successful in rendering a democracy backwards in time to an Islamo-anarchist state. My latest on the Bangladesh situation. Do read.
Great to have
@mushfiq_econ
over for an informal lunch, chatting with my group
@CDES_Monash
and PhD students, discussed climate change and social science research, as well as scaling up our work from small-scale RCTs.
Include researchers based in developing countries in your team. Knowledge transfers, also learn from them. I still learn from them even researching people/issues in the very region I was born. Applies to all- whether from developing countries or not. Diversify your ‘club’.
Ouch.
Development economics, ostensibly dedicated to improving the well-being of people in developing countries, is almost devoid of people based in those countries.
- JDE editors: 2 of 69
- JPAL affiliates: 5%
- ABCDE presenters: 7%
- RCT authors: <10%
A new WP to address vaccine hesitancy in Indonesia. Supply was not an issue- a lot of people did not take up the vaccine. We used local ambassadors-health cadres, influential individuals, and laypersons- to promote vaccine take-up. Paper:
Last two weeks have been incredibly tough for me/my homeland 🇧🇩The loss of so many lives and the plight of students in hospitals or jail, demanding a fair job system, is heart-wrenching. This tragedy has shaken us to the core. It's hard to stay silent witnessing such atrocities.
Please RT.
We (
@CDES_Monash
) are hiring. Interested in development policy, real-world impact and engagement outside academia using rigorous research! Work with the best dev research group in Australia! Join me! More details are here:
My research with John List and others on Early Childhood Education in rural Bangladesh, with support from ESRC-UKaid. Check out the summary of the project and some initial findings.
@gdri_research
Delighted to be invited as the keynote speaker for the 6th Japanese Association for Development Economics (JADE) Conference in Tokyo, on April 13-14, 2024. Submit your papers by January 8, 2024. Follow the link.
I am hiring
@CDES_Monash
and
@_CEVAW
! Join the movement to end violence against women. If you're an economist with experience in running field experiments, and skilled in working with large surveys, we want you on our team! Apply Today.
We're hiring two research fellows! If you're an economist interested in gender issues and GBV/IPV, field-based research using large surveys and experiments, apply now to work with me and Astghik Mavisakalyan at Curtin University in Perth. Apply here:
Very glad to see our paper finally published! It's lot of hard work in the field, a huge shoutout to
@FirozAhmed_BD
for effectively managing the project. Conducting large-scale surveys and gathering voting information in such a short time frame was no small feat.
Our paper on "Partisan Effects of Information Campaigns in Competitive Authoritarian Elections: Evidence from Bangladesh" (w/
@RolandHodler
and
@AsadIslamBD
) finally found a great home at
@EJ_RES
.
Corrected proof is now available at
Conference on
#RCTs
organized by me and Choon Wang, Dec 12-13, at
@MonashUni
@MonashBusiness
. Call for papers out. Keynotes include
@deankarlan
, Catherine Wolfram, Chris Woodruff, and
@ALeighMP
. Check out the webpage . Please submit and spread the news.
A new WP! evaluation of a
@BRACworld
program, to help small enterprises to improve their workplace practices. Thanks to
#Europeancommission
for funding the program,
@GLMLIC
for funding for evaluation, and
@BIGD_bracu
conducting evaluation.
Paper:
Started working as the Associate Editor of 'Economic Papers'- one of the two journals published by the Economic Society of Australia (ESA). Hope some of you will consider submitting your works here.
Evidence of the impact of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) using first large scale multi-year randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with BRAC, co-authored with
@cbb2cornell
,MA Malek
@DebPakrashi
Ummul Ruthbah
Some folks got upset when I said, 'Bangladesh has never elected a PM who came to power by demolishing mosques and building temples.' Did I mention any other country? Nope. Relax, no need to take it personally, neighbor😒! Just stop spreading false info about 🇧🇩.
Stop publishing trash. Before spreading misinformation and disinformation, take the time to educate yourself. You clearly have no understanding of Bangladesh. We have never elected a PM who came to power by demolishing mosques and building temples. Get your facts straight
A chess training program for grade 5 students in rural Bangladesh significantly reduced risk aversion, or the tendency to avoid taking risks, among participants.
Chess is being touted as the best move for children to learn healthy risk taking behaviours.
Monash University researchers found the battle of the minds can help set them up for life in the classroom and beyond.
@justinemack9
#9News
Got a surprise today!! Monash has picked my project on SRI (rice) in Bangladesh (w/
@cbb2cornell
, Marcel Fafchamps, M. A Malek, Deb Pakrashi) as one of the highlights for its 'Open Day'. Work with
@BRACworld
. Thanks to
@yveszenou1
Is it better to have friends in study groups? Happy to share my paper forthcoming in Economic Journal, . w/ Youjin Hahn, Eleonora Patacchini and
@yveszenou1
Join me
@CameronLisaA
and
@s_chowdhury01
to launch the Australasian Development Economics Association (ADEA)!
Connect with development economists across Australasia.
Time: 5 PM, June 5th, Wednesday
Venue: 5th floor foyer, FBE Building, U of Melbourne
Very happy to see this paper out now. We show that non-partisan information campaigns aimed at raising voting participation can have unintended consequences in non-democratic settings.
Looking forward to welcome new colleagues
@b_lerva
from Stockholm and
@armandsim
from Cornell at the
@CDES_Monash
. We are still in the market, hiring at a senior level. If you are a dev economist with experience in policy,
@CDES_Monash
offers an excellent opportunity.
#impact
Disappointed to hear this from
@ShashiTharoor
, a person I've respected for his love for India. Yet, it's not surprising given the Congress-led govt's role in the 2014 rigged election in Bangladesh. Seems both sides of Indian politics unite in harming relationships with neighbors.
Not only the Indian media outlets, even prominent Indian citizens have indulged in spreading false information about the situation in Bangladesh. It is very unfortunate.
In this video
@ShashiTharoor
, a very famous MP of the Lok Sabha, is heard saying that "a number of Awami
In Vietnam, to initiate our long-term projects addressing
#VAW
by collaborating with the govt, unis, and NGOs, to enhance our understanding of which programs and initiatives hold potential effectiveness, and then to subsequently test them in the field.
Debunking the myth: A coordinated disinformation campaign, spearheaded by some Indian media and cronies of Sheikh Hasina’s autocratic regime, is spreading false claims about Muslim attacks in Bangladesh.
#FactCheck
New WP (w/
@hasib_hassan
@absidd
@choon_wang
) During
#COVID19
school closures, provided telementoring via basic mobile phones, to children in low-resource settings, with voluntary support from current uni students who worked remotely as mentors.
Paper:
My final seminar in Japan at Dept. of Econ, UTokyo, presenting a paper on the mental health of refugee women and children. Grateful for Yasuyuki Sawada's exceptional hospitality, which made my two-week visit, featuring seven talks incl a keynote at the JADE, incredibly smooth.
In Tokyo, gave two talks at ADBI and GRIPS on learning loss recovery. Off to Osaka and Kyoto for talks, then back to Tokyo for the keynote @ JADE annual conference, and seminars at the UTokyo and IDE-JETRO. Really inspiring to see the dev econ community in Japan thriving so well.
Day 1 of the Durham-
@CDES_Monash
conference in Durham, UK. It's a pleasure to introduce Kaushik Basu as the keynote speaker. He gave an insightful talk on India's youth unemployment and policy dilemmas. Excellent speakers, high-quality papers, and engaging discussions.
Caste-based reservations in India have undoubtedly led to improved representation of lower-caste individuals in a variety of high-paying occupations. However, such reservation policies can also have unintended consequences, esp. for low-caste women. We show how!
For those who missed the wonderful news,
@monashuni
has been awarded $70m to fund 2 new ARC
@arc_gov_au
Centres of Excellence: a CoE for Weather of the 21st Century, & a CoE for Elimination of Violence Against Women. Congratulations to everyone involved!
Had an amazing time at IIM Bangalore! Gave two talks in two days, spent time meeting with faculty and students. Vibrant research and academic culture are exciting. Now, it's time to head back to Melbourne
Mental health situation deteriorates as food security situation worsened during Covid19. We study rural women's mental health. paper:
Also working on mental health intervention targeting women. details here.
A local news outlet for kids in my neighborhood recently published this based on our research about Chess- a colleague brought this to my attention. A new milestone for me!
My paper forthcoming in EER where I show that a simple parent-teacher meeting (e.g., low-cost and easy to implement) in rural areas in Bangladesh could make a significant difference students’ educational achievements.
Delighted to have
@Gabri_EllaConti
as our keynote speaker for the Sustainable Development Conference in Kuala Lumpur, hosted by
@CDES_Monash
@MonashUni
. Very comprehensive and thought-provoking talk on innovations in early childhood development around the world
Looking forward to give a keynote speech on remote learning in developing countries using low-tech solutions. The other Keynote will be delivered by indomitable Lant Pritchett. For details:
Had a great lunch meeting with Fiji's Deputy PM & Finance Minister,
@bimanprasad
. We chatted about social protection and inclusion of the marginalized people. Impressive insights on tackling economic and social issues and building evidence for policies and programs.
Remembering Martin Ravallion. My
@CDES_Monash
colleague
@GauravDatt_CDES
writes, going back to his long association since 1985- first as his PhD student, then a colleague at the World Bank, and a long-term co-author.
Very glad to have
@rema_nadeem
as a keynote speaker for
@CDES_Monash
conference on sustainable development at
@MonashUni
Prato campus in Italy, speaking on targeting poor and social protection in developing countries.
@MonashBusiness
In Bangladesh 🇧🇩, we are partnering with Dhaka North City Corporation and to raise awareness about extreme heat, health issues, and protective measures. Thanks to the mayor and chief heat officer for the invitation and support!
Advances with Field Experiments week is here! Hundreds of field experimentalists will be descending upon UChicago later this week to present their own work and to hear from the always wonderful trio:
@I_Am_NickBloom
@UriGneezy
and
@S_Stantcheva
Day3 my field trip in rural 🇧🇩to understand how digitization at school is working, why school teachers are not using the govt-provided computer/laptop, why funds allocated to schools are not reaching out there.
New Paper based on a
#RCT
providing free tutoring to students, selecting them randomly and based on their social networks. Targeting students based on their networks gives larger educational benefits both for treated and untreated students.
New paper with
@AsadIslamBD
,
@mvlass
, and X. Zhang, where we show that treating the students with highest centrality leads to more and higher effects on test scores.
Based on research with BRAC in Bangladesh, we tested how we can use village level social networks to disseminate new agricultural technology among farmers. Details in my interview..
In 🇧🇩 Bangladesh, our mission continues, this time offering remote learning in partnership with the country's largest EdTech provider, 10 minute school. Excited for this collaboration to effectively bring quality education to underprivileged communities.
Getting ready for the
@CDES_Monash
Prato Conference! At the pre-conference dinner with two keynote speakers
@ADBChiefEcon
and Rohini Pande, along with some friends and co-authors.
Spent the past week in Fiji, engaging with academics, activists, and policymakers. Over the last two days, travelled to rural communities to gain insights into their lives and livelihoods. Striking differences in how Fijian villages operate.
Day 2 of the CDES Prato conference kicked off with a keynote by Rohini Pande, focusing on gender norms in developing countries, highlighting progress, constraints, and future solutions.
It's great to have
@MartinRavallion
as the first speaker of
@CDES_Monash
Covid-19 webinar series, with a large, worldwide audience. He focused on the adequacy of the home environment for protection (HEP) from Covid-19 using DHS data from 54 developing countries.
Here’s a piece from a friendly Indian media outlet, outlining key issues India could address to correct past "mistakes" and forge a stronger partnership with Bangladesh.
India’s ‘Sheikh Hasina Problem’ is Not Going Away Easily
My son developed cold and cough symptoms after his school on Thursday. Took only 20 min to test Friday morning. Results (negative) came in 24 hrs. In many developed countries, people are queuing long time, results also too late. Good job done by
@DanielAndrewsMP
of Victoria.
Apply now. You can work with me and my wonderful colleagues at
@_CEVAW
. An opportunity to make a difference to change the lives of many women in vulnerable communities, directly addressing violence against women.
📢Applications for our
#PhD
Scholarship are closing soon!
Hosted
@BankwestCurtin
@CurtinUni
, this
#PhD
will contribute to research on the impact of institutions in prevalence & prevention of
#VAW
.
👉Apply now by 28/7:
Very glad to give a talk based on a RCT on occupational health and safety at
@UTSEngage
Econ dept. Thanks
@ADelavande
for inviting and
@SiminskiPeter
for the wonderful treats! Paper:
Looking forward to my keynote talk at the Japanese Association for Development Economics (JADE) today. Will talk on how insights into social networks can help design low-cost programs, optimize intervention outcomes, and deepen our understanding of the effects of programs.
Happening tomorrow. Will talk about the situation of these people based on my research, how we mitigate their sufferings by helping their children to grow like most of our children, addressing their mental and physical health, and building social cohesion.
With children in Rohingya Refugee Camp, in the Humanitarian Play Lab (HPL) centre set up by
@BRACworld
. A situation hard to describe unless someone sees it! Working with BRAC for children and their mothers to improve their livelihood, physical and mental health.
Thanks to google translation! Thank you,
@contrafactual2
,
for taking time to post on chess training and its effects! Discussing my paper (w/Lee and Nicholas) just published online at the Journal of Development Economics
🌸 Had an amazing time at U of Osaka! The seminar audience was incredibly engaging, and dinner at an authentic Japanese restaurant was a delight! The cherry blossom season is truly breathtaking, and we hit the timing just right. 🌸
We need more awareness about addressing mental health problem in developing countries, particularly for women and children. We show that a low-cost telecounselling intervention can effectively improve women’s mental health in resource-poor settings
New WP: First (!)
#RCTs
on financial diary (FD), compare with a standard financial education (FE) intervention. (w/R. Smyth, V. Nguyen and Z. Iqbal). Paper:
Check out
@Xing_Xia
presenting (28th, 10:30am) our study on delivering low-tech remote learning in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal post-COVID while children were struggling to catch up in school (w/ P. Glewwe,
@shwetlena
,
@uttamsha
,
@kwrahman
)
Glad to be back in school of Econ and public policy, U of Adelaide. Gave a talk on improving workplace health and safety in informal sector of SMEs in developing countries, based on the results using a large scale RCTs
@BRACworld
, and
@BIGD_bracu
Looking forward to the
@CDES_Monash
summer school in Development Economics, co-organized with the Italian Association of Development Economists. Excited for the next two days with speakers include
@GGenicot
,
@selimgulesci
,
@DeserrannoErika
Embarking on a mission in Bangladesh to create gender-friendly workplaces in small businesses, ensuring the safety and security of women. Together, let's build a brighter, more inclusive future.
@GDRI
@BIGD_bracu
New NBER WP (with
@Kazixiqbal
, John List,
@vyttnguyen
) testing Myopic Loss Aversion among non-professional traders in stock market. Use a unique dataset on daily transactions and portfolio positions over 2 yrs. Over 8 yrs of work!!
New WP: On remote learning during school closures in hard-to-reach communities with no easy access to internet/smart phones. A potential solution using a low-tech, and a low-cost, scalable intervention to address the learning loss and to catch-up. Paper: