Nobel Prize-winning economists Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo are set to leave the United States to join the University of Zurich (UZH), where they will establish a new Lemann Centre for Development, Education, and Public Policy.
The University of Zurich announced on Friday that the married couple, currently professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), will join its economics faculty in July 2026.
“We are delighted that two of the world’s most influential economists are joining UZH,” said university president Michael Schaepman in an official statement.
New Academic Centre for Global Development
The newly created Lemann Centre will focus on development economics, education reform, and public policy, connecting researchers and policymakers worldwide.
Both Banerjee and Duflo will hold endowed professorships funded by the Lemann Foundation.
Duflo said the Zurich move would allow them to expand their work that bridges academic research, student mentorship, and real-world policy impact.
“This will help us build on and expand our work, which connects research with practical policy solutions,” she added.
The couple will retain part-time affiliations with MIT.
Concerns Over US Academic Climate
While the university did not specify why the Nobel laureates chose to move, the decision comes amid concerns of a potential “brain drain” from US universities.
Experts say cuts to research funding and growing political interference under US President Donald Trump have led many academics to seek opportunities abroad.
Duflo, a dual US-French national, had earlier co-signed an editorial in Le Monde denouncing what she described as “unprecedented attacks on US science.”
Their Nobel-Winning Legacy
Banerjee and Duflo, along with Michael Kremer, won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty. Their research has shaped development programs and policy design worldwide, especially in education and microfinance.
Other 2025 Nobel Winners
The 2025 Nobel Prizes recognized groundbreaking achievements across disciplines:
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Medicine: Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi for discovering how the immune system avoids attacking the body’s own tissues.
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Physics: John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis.
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Chemistry: Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for pioneering metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).
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Literature: Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai.
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Peace: Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado for her peaceful fight for democracy and human rights.
