Middle-income countries are home to most of the world’s extremely poor people. These developing economies comprise about 75% of the world’s population and 60% of global carbon dioxide emissions. How can they expand enterprise, promote human capital, and improve quality of life while also transitioning to cleaner energy sources? Modern Schumpeterian theory, with its focus on creative destruction, offers surprising and powerful answers.
Ufuk Akcigit, Arnold C. Harberger Professor in Economics at UChicago, Indermit Gill, Chief Economist of the World Bank Group and Senior Vice President for Development Economics, and Poonam Gupta, Director General of India’s National Council of Applied Economic Research, discussed the unique development challenges facing middle-income countries. Gill offered insights from the World Bank’s upcoming 2024 World Development Report, after which World Bank Staff Director Somik V. Lall lead a discussion examining the report’s main findings, with an emphasis on policy implications for developing countries.
Agenda
Welcome and Introduction
Erik Hurst, Director, Becker Friedman Institute for Economics; Frank P. and Marianne R. Diassi Distinguished Service Professor of Economics and John E. Jeuck Faculty Fellow, Chicago Booth
Report Findings
Indermit Gill, Chief Economist of the World Bank and Senior Vice President for Development Economics
Panel Discussion
Ufuk Akcigit, Arnold C. Harberger Professor in Economics at the University of Chicago Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics
Indermit Gill, Chief Economist of the World Bank and Senior Vice President for Development Economics
Poonam Gupta, Director General of India’s National Council of Applied Economic Research
Somik V. Lall, Staff Director of World Bank’s 2024 World Development Report (Moderator)