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

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African Scholar Spotlight: Jaah Mkupete

This post is part of our ongoing series showcasing the work and perspectives of economists from the African continent who are leading randomized evaluations. In this spotlight, we speak with Jaah Mkupete, a lecturer of economics at the University of Dar es Salaam.
J-PAL Africa presenting at a workshop with the Western Cape Government

Shukuma in South African schools: Fostering strong partnerships to address violence in the Western Cape

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In 2019, representatives from the Western Cape Government’s Department of the Premier's Office attended J-PAL Africa’s Evaluating Social Programs (ESP) course in Cape Town to learn more about how evidence from randomized evaluations can inform program design and implementation. During ESP...
Rwanda agricultural landscape

J-PAL and UM6P launch new agriculture research lab to improve food security and support evidence-informed decision-making in sub-Saharan Africa

On October 10, J-PAL in partnership with University Mohammed VI Polytechnic launched the UM6P-J-PAL Agricultural Lab for Africa. Chaired by Tavneet Suri (MIT, J-PAL Agriculture sector Co-Chair), the lab will be hosted at University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) in Rabat, Morocco, with the goal of...
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African Scholar Spotlight: Robertson Khataza

Through our African Scholars Program, we hope to help create more opportunities for African researchers to advance the research agenda on the continent through randomized evaluations. In this spotlight, we speak with Robertson Khataza of the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources...
A headshot of Nneka Osadolor.

African Scholar Spotlight: Nneka Osadolor

In this spotlight, we speak with Nneka Esther Osadolor, a PhD candidate in economics at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Nneka’s primary research interests are broadly in development economics and applied microeconomics, including labor markets, financial inclusion, poverty, inequality, and gender...
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20 for 20: Empowering change in Ghana as an African researcher

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  • Edward Asiedu
As J-PAL celebrates its 20th anniversary, Edward Asiedu shares his experiences as part of the J-PAL network and sheds light on the impactful work he has accomplished in Ghana. In this blog post, he will take you through the journey that led him to this field and share the perspective of an African...
Demi lunes in Niger

Scaling up the impact of rainwater harvesting techniques on small-scale farming in Niger

A key policy question in sub-Saharan Africa is how to reach yield potential for important crops without introducing further environmental degradation. Researchers partnered with Niger’s Ministry of the Environment and the Sahel Consulting Group to test barriers to the adoption of demi-lunes, a...
Children sit in circle in classroom

Shukuma in South African schools: Adapting evidence on cognitive behavioural therapy-inspired programmes to reduce violence

While evidence-based insights on the most effective ways to reduce crime and violence are scarce, rigorous evidence has shown that one family of interventions may be effective. A strong foundation of evidence suggests that interventions based on the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)...