Blog

News

News, ideas, and analysis from J-PAL staff and affiliated professors. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly email updates.

Panel discussion on transitioning to clean energy in Arab states

Partnering for resilience: Strengthening climate adaptation in the Middle East and North Africa

In the context of leveraging randomized evaluations for climate action, developing partnerships between various stakeholders is a necessary first step. From that premise, J-PAL MENA at the American University in Cairo co-hosted with the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development in Egypt, the...
Two girls doing schoolwork at desk

Affiliate Spotlight: Selim Gulesci on entrepreneurship, gender, and the policymaking process

This affiliate spotlight features reflections from Selim Gulesci on his research surrounding gender, labor, and economics, and touches on his new role of Scientific Advisor for J-PAL Africa’s Girls’ Education and Empowerment portfolio.
Global Evidence for Egypt Conference attendees listening to speaker

Using evidence to inform decision-making: a recap from the Global Evidence for Egypt conference

A recap of the January 15, 2023 Global Evidence for Egypt conference co-hosted by J-PAL MENA at AUC and UNICEF Egypt that sought to identify opportunities for evidence to inform poverty reduction efforts in Egypt.
 J-PAL King Climate Action Initiative co-chair Kelsey Jack speaks about the importance of rigorous evidence from randomized evaluations

On the ground at COP27: Sharing policy solutions for climate adaptation

Climate change has the potential to undo decades of progress in poverty alleviation and improvements in well-being among the most vulnerable. Recognizing this challenge, J-PAL’s work in the Environment, Energy, and Climate Change sector seeks to measure the real-world impacts of energy and...
Three structures spell out "AUC" with palm trees in the background. One person sits inside each letter.

Jumpstarting careers in development: Reflections from J-PAL MENA's Summer Interns

By
  • Habiba Tamer
  • Omar ElDeeb
J-PAL MENA at The American University in Cairo (AUC) welcomed its first cohort of interns in June 2022 as part of a new summer internship program. The program is designed to facilitate engagement with regional development challenges through integration with J-PAL MENA’s work across the Policy &...
Attendees are watching a panel of four people for the COP27 in Egypt

The road to COP27: Tackling climate change in Egypt

In Egypt and globally, low-income populations disproportionately experience a range of climate change-related hazards. Egypt is particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts, with a projected increase in heat waves, dust storms, and extreme weather events. COP27 in Sharm ElSheikh is a...
Four speakers are seated at a panel table at the front of a room.

Youth economic inclusion in Morocco: An evidence sharing seminar

By
  • Alexandra Diggs
  • Fatine Guedira
The Morocco Employment Lab hosted an evidence sharing seminar on youth economic inclusion last month. At the seminar, Dr. Younes Sekkouri, Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, and Skills in Morocco, reaffirmed that a key priority of the government is to foster youth economic inclusion...
A male farmer standing in a field of crops looks down at a mobile phone that he is holding.

Evidence for digital and bundled services: Framing a research agenda for the Digital Agricultural Innovations and Services Initiative

As the reach of digital agricultural services has grown rapidly within the last few years, building an evidence base on how these services should be designed, implemented, and scaled to best align with the priorities of small-scale producers is an important and timely issue—and one that J-PAL's...