BFI’s Student Lunch Series invites prominent speakers to engage undergraduate and graduate students in discussions on economics. The talks highlight the practical use of economics for answering real-world questions pertinent to businesses and policy makers.
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?
Indermit Gill, Chief Economist of the World Bank Group and Senior Vice President for Development Economics, and Ufuk Akcigit, Arnold C. Harberger Professor in Economics, discussed the unique development challenges facing middle-income countries. Gill offered insights from the World Bank’s 2024 World Development Report, after which he and Akcigit examined the report’s main findings, with an emphasis on policy implications.
Agenda
Introduction
Sam Ori, Executive Director, The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics; Executive Director, Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC)
Opening Remarks
Indermit Gill, Chief Economist of the World Bank and Senior Vice President for Development Economics
Fireside Chat
Ufuk Akcigit, Arnold C. Harberger Professor of Economics, Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics
Indermit Gill, Chief Economist of the World Bank and Senior Vice President for Development Economics
Audience Q&A