Nobel laureate Esther Duflo joins Krea University’s governing council

Krea University announced on Friday it has appointed Nobel laureate Dr Esther Duflo as a member of its governing council. Krea University is a private arts and science university with its main location in Sricity, Andhra Pradesh

She was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize for Economics along with her husband, Dr Abhijit Banerjee, and Dr Michael Kremer for developing an innovative experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.

“As a path-breaking scholar who has brought scientific method and rigor to the social sciences, Dr Esther Duflo personifies Krea University’s interwoven approach to research and learning. It is a great privilege to welcome her as a member of its governing council,” Kapil Viswanathan, chairman of the executive committee and member of governing council of Krea University, said in a statement.

Commenting on her appointment, Duflo said, “It is fair to say that we would not have received a Nobel Prize had it not been for all the research we could do in India, thanks in large part to the support we received from Krea University’s sponsoring body since 2008. I look forward to helping the university realize its mission to help humanity prepare for an unpredictable world.”

“Professor Duflo is exceptional as a scholar, researcher and teacher not only for her outstanding work but equally so for the impact of her ideas on the larger world. Her leadership and interventions also set a standard for scholars, policymakers and the public at large,” Krea University Vice Chancellor Dr Mahesh Rangarajan said.

Duflo is an economist and professor of poverty alleviation and development economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is also co-founder and co-director at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL).