The University of Zurich (UZH) announced that US-based Nobel laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee, currently faculty members at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), will join its economics faculty starting in July 2026.
The married couple, who won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics alongside Michael Kremer for their “experimental approach to alleviating global poverty,” will establish a new Lemann Center for Development, Education, and Public Policy at UZH.
The university’s statement did not specify the reasons behind Duflo and Banerjee’s decision to leave MIT. However, their move coincides with concerns raised by experts about a potential brain drain from the United States, driven by US President Donald Trump’s cuts to research funding and attacks on academic freedoms at universities. Some countries are reportedly seeking to attract US scientists amid these challenges.
Duflo, a dual US-French national, co-signed an editorial in Le Monde in March 2025, denouncing “unprecedented attacks” on US science.
At UZH, Duflo and Banerjee will each hold an endowed professorship funded by the Lemann Foundation. They will co-lead the new Lemann Center, which aims to promote policy-relevant research and foster connections between researchers and education policymakers globally. The couple will also maintain part-time positions at MIT.
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UZH President Michael Schaepman expressed enthusiasm about the appointments, stating, “We are delighted that two of the world’s most influential economists are joining UZH.”
Duflo highlighted the significance of the new center, saying, “The new Lemann Center would enable the couple, who will retain part-time positions at MIT, to build on and expand our work, which bridges academic research, student mentorship and real-world policy impact.”
The announcement comes just days before the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics is set to be revealed on Monday, October 13.
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