Acceptance speech by Esther Duflo of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), after receiving the 2008 Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Development Cooperation.
In her remarks, Esther Duflo explains how the fight against poverty can be approached with the same methodological rigor used in experimental science. She describes how the institution employs randomized controlled trials to evaluate development policies—from free antiparasitic treatments to the distribution of free mosquito nets—and how such experiments provide solid evidence on what works and what does not. Her address emphasizes that evidence must guide social action and that understanding the real effects on communities is as essential as designing the policies themselves.
The 2008 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the category of Development Cooperation was granted to the Abdul Latif Ja
Acceptance speech by Esther Duflo of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), after receiving the 2008 Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Development Cooperation.
In her remarks, Esther Duflo explains how the fight against poverty can be approached with the same methodological rigor used in experimental science. She describes how the institution employs randomized controlled trials to evaluate development policies—from free antiparasitic treatments to the distribution of free mosquito nets—and how such experiments provide solid evidence on what works and what does not. Her address emphasizes that evidence must guide social action and that understanding the real effects on communities is as essential as designing the policies themselves.
The 2008 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the category of Development Cooperation was granted to the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The laboratory, founded by MIT economists, promotes the use of scientific methods to assess the effectiveness of funds allocated to development aid.
00:00 Presentation of the Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Development Cooperation
00:53 Reading of the jury’s citation – Prof. José García Montalvo
01:25 Award presented to Esther Duflo
03:14 Acceptance speech by Esther Duflo, director of J-PAL (MIT)
05:12 Scientific evidence as a tool against poverty
06:13 Training and knowledge transfer
