Springing people from the poverty trap
Field experiment in Bangladesh shows the poor simply lack opportunities to gain wealth — but a one-time boost can make a major difference.
J-PAL launches the Egypt Impact Lab to improve lives through evidence-informed policymaking
New collaboration aims to strengthen Egypt’s poverty alleviation policies through rigorous evaluation and innovation.
Designing the built environment through a service lens
Senior Carene Umubyeyi seeks to advance sustainable structural design in her home country of Rwanda and beyond.
A life-changing fertilizer for rural farmers in Kenya
MIT spinout Safi Organics uses farmers’ crop residue to make an organic fertilizer that can increase yields and improve soil health.
Study: Higher minimum wages raise voter turnout
Low-wage workers, who vote infrequently, gain a participation boost when their salaries increase.
Reducing food waste to increase access to affordable foods
MIT alumni-founded Spoiler Alert matches major food brands with discount grocers to sell perishable products.
A “big push” to lift people out of poverty
MIT field experiment from India finds a one-time economic boost helps the very poor fare better for at least a decade.
J-PAL North America announces five new partnerships with state and local governments
Five new state and local government partners will work with J-PAL North America to develop rigorous evaluations of policies and programs related to environment, education, economic security, and housing stability.
The power of economics to explain and shape the world
In 14.009, a first-year class taught by Nobel laureates, MIT students discover how economics helps solve major societal problems.
Education in Latin America after the pandemic
In a recent panel discussion, experts describe opportunities for equality and equity.
Ingenuity, design, and human spirit
A new book from the MIT Future Heritage Lab goes inside a Syrian refugee camp to uncover the creative lives of its inhabitants.
MIT receives $15M USAID award to promote research and innovation at universities in Latin America
The award will support development-oriented research through a Center for Innovation and Technology at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala.
Ana Pantelic appointed executive director of MIT D-Lab
An international development practitioner, academic researcher, and social entrepreneur, Pantelic will help guide D-Lab into its third decade.
Citizens emerge from the slums
PhD student Ying Gao's research reveals that the urban poor in the developing world are politically engaged and capable of effecting change.
The laws of physics and the physics of law
Obiageli Nwodoh ’21 repurposed her STEM skills to pave a pre-law path at MIT and pursue social justice.