Center

Becker Friedman Institute Latin America

Becker Friedman Institute Latin America (BFI-LATAM) is a groundbreaking effort that aims to deepen economists’ understanding of Latin American economies and to produce new insights on the most critical policy challenges facing Latin America today.

Fernando Alvarez

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics has established BFI Latin America as a platform to highlight contributions of scholars from UChicago’s Griffin Department of Economics, Booth School, and Harris School of Public Policy. BFI Latin America builds on the legacy contributions of UChicago economists to produce frontier research on the most challenging issues facing Latin American economies today, and to share those findings with the world.

Universidad Andrés Bello

The Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB) and the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) at the University of Chicago are collaborating on an academic agreement that aims to foster the exchange, production, and dissemination of research ideas focused on the most relevant issues in economic policy for Latin America.

Through this agreement, UNAB and BFI support cutting-edge research involving scholars from both institutions, host conferences and seminars in both the United States and Latin America, facilitate the exchange of professors and students between both institutions, and eventually launch a new data hub designed to support new research and contribute to economic policy through the dissemination of this work throughout Latin America

Insper

Through their research collaboration, BFI and Insper produce cutting-edge research involving scholars from both institutions, host a series of conferences and workshops on key topics to foster exchange, and develop a pipeline of early career researchers trained in frontier methods of economics research.

A new research professional exchange program for Insper students feeds into BFI’s renowned research professional program, which consists of nearly 80 early career researchers in residence supporting UChicago economics faculty. The program wgives some of the best graduating students from Insper the opportunity to be matched with UChicago faculty for two-year research appointments.

The academic partnership between BFI and Insper was made possible through the support of the Haddad Foundation. Claudio Haddad is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Insper, a member of the BFI Advisory Council and President of the Board of the Haddad Foundation. He received his PhD in Economics from The University of Chicago in 1974 and previously served as director responsible for public debt and open market operations for the Central Bank of Brazil. He later served as partner and then chief executive officer of Banco de Investimentos Garantia SA, a Brazilian investment bank.

Visit bfilatinamerica.uchicago.edu

Associated Scholars

UChicago Scholar

Fernando Alvarez

Charles F. Grey Distinguished Service Professor, the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics
Visiting Scholar

Felipe Balmaceda

Andres Bello University
UChicago Scholar

Maria Angélica Bautista

Assistant Professor, Harris Public Policy

Luis Bettencourt

Professor of Ecology and Evolution, Ecology and Evolution Graduate Program at University of Chicago
UChicago Scholar

Christopher Blattman

Ramalee E. Pearson Professor of Global Conflict Studies, Harris School of Public Policy; Deputy Director of BFI Development Economics Center
UChicago Scholar

Leonardo Bursztyn

Saieh Family Professor, the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics; Co-Director of BFI Political Economics Initiative

Rene Caldentey

Professor of Operations Management, Booth School of Business
UChicago Scholar

Christopher Campos

Assistant Professor of Economics, Booth School of Business
UChicago Scholar

Emanuele Colonnelli

Associate Professor of Finance and MV Advisors Faculty Fellow, Chicago Booth
UChicago Scholar

Jonathan Dingel

Associate Professor of Economics, Booth School of Business

Associated Research

BFI Working Paper·Oct 10, 2024

Understanding the Heterogeneity of Intergenerational Mobility across Neighborhoods

Neil A. Cholli, Steven Durlauf, Rasmus Landersø, and Salvador Navarro
Topics: Economic Mobility & Poverty
BFI Working Paper·Oct 7, 2024

12 Best Practices for Leveraging Generative AI in Experimental Research

Samuel Chang, Andrew Kennedy, Aaron Leonard, and John List
Topics: Technology & Innovation
BFI Working Paper·Oct 7, 2024

Transmission of Family Influence

Sadegh S.M. Eshaghnia, James Heckman, Rasmus Landersø, and Rafeh Qureshi
Topics: Economic Mobility & Poverty

Associated Past Events

Oct 10
Becker Brown Bag·Oct 10, 2024, 12:30 PM·Keller Center, Classroom 0001

BFI Student Lunch Series – National Wage Setting

Oct 7
Seminar·Oct 7, 2024, 12:00 PM·Charles M. Harper Center | Room 3B

Fall 2024 Behavioral Economics Seminar Series

by Leonardo Bursztyn and Alex Imas
Oct 2
Event·Oct 2, 2024, 4:30 PM·Saieh Hall 203

Charaiveti: An Academic’s Global Journey

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Associated Upcoming Events

Oct 14
Seminar·Oct 14, 2024, 12:00 PM·Charles M. Harper Center | Room 3B

Fall 2024 Behavioral Economics Seminar Series

Oct 16
Workshops·Oct 16, 2024, 9:00 AM·Saieh Hall Room 112

Experimental Seminar Series

Organizers: Leonardo Bursztyn and Alex Imas
Oct 18
Academic Conferences·Oct 18, 2024, 12:00 AM·Chicago Booth Harper Center, Room C05 - 5807 S Woodlawn Ave, Chicago, IL 60637

Conference on Venezuelan Politics

Organizers: John List
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Associated Insights

Research Briefs·Oct 10, 2024

On the Origins of Direct Rule: Armed Groups and Customary Chiefs in Eastern Congo • Social Origins of Militias: The Extraordinary Rise of “Outraged Citizens” • Seeing like a Citizen: Experimental Evidence on How Empowerment Affects Engagement with the State

Soeren J. Henn, Gauthier Marchais, Christian Mastaki Mugaruka, Laura Paler, Wilson Prichard, Cyrus Samii, Raul Sanchez de la Sierra, and David Qihang Wu
In recent decades, civil unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including armed rebellion that threatens to expand regionally, has raised numerous challenges for the state and its citizens, from how a weakened state can effectively manage security and...
Research Briefs·Oct 10, 2024

Social Signaling and Childhood Immunization: A Field Experiment in Sierra Leone

Anne Karing
This study tests whether social signaling can positively influence parents’ vaccination decisions in Sierra Leone. Giving children color-coded bracelets that indicate their vaccination status increases parents’ belief in the visibility of their actions and their knowledge of other children’s vaccine...
Research Briefs·Oct 2, 2024

Moving to Opportunity, Together

Seema Jayachandran, Lea Nassal, Matthew J. Notowidigdo, Marie Paul, Heather Sarsons, and Elin Sundberg
When heterosexual couples in Germany and Sweden relocate, men’s earnings increase by 5-10%, while women’s do not change. Couples are more likely to relocate when the man, rather than the woman, is laid off. These gaps appear at least in...
Topics: Employment & Wages