Who Are Nobel Laureates Esther Duflo & Abhijit Banerjee & Why Are They Leaving US For Switzerland?

Nobel Prize-winning economists Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee are set to leave the United States for Switzerland next year, joining the University of Zurich (UZH) to establish a new research centre in development economics. The couple, who met while working together at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and got married in 2015, are among the most prominent figures in global development research.

This announcement comes amid growing concerns over cuts to US research funding and increasing political pressure on academic institutions.

The University of Zurich confirmed that the pair will join MIT's economics faculty in July 2026. They will co-lead the newly created Lemann Centre for Development, Education and Public Policy, funded by the Lemann Foundation.

Who Is Esther Duflo?

French-American economist Esther Duflo, born in 1972, is recognised as one of the world’s most influential development economists. She currently serves as the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics at MIT and is the co-founder and co-director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). The lab promotes the use of evidence-based research and randomised controlled trials to design and evaluate policies aimed at reducing poverty.

Duflo’s research has shaped policymaking in education, health, gender equality and financial inclusion. In 2019, she became the youngest person and only the second woman to win the Nobel Prize in Economics, sharing the award with her husband and fellow economist Abhijit Banerjee, and Michael Kremer, for their “experimental approach to alleviating global poverty”.

She has also been president of the Paris School of Economics since 2024 and has served on the boards of leading research organisations including the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Centre for Economic Policy Research.

Who Is Abhijit Banerjee?

Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee, born in 1961 in India, is currently the Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at MIT. A co-founder of J-PAL, Banerjee has been recognised as one of the most productive development economists globally. His research focuses on poverty, behavioural economics and the political economy of development.

He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences, and has received multiple honours, including a Sloan Research Fellowship. Banerjee and Duflo have co-authored two acclaimed books, Poor Economics and Good Economics for Hard Times, which present their findings on poverty alleviation and global inequality in accessible form.

Why Are They Leaving the US for Switzerland?

The University of Zurich said the couple will retain part-time appointments at MIT but will move to Switzerland to lead the new Lemann Centre, which aims to foster policy-relevant research and global collaboration. “The centre will allow us to build on and expand our work, which bridges academic research, student mentorship and real-world policy impact,” Duflo said in a statement.

Although the university did not specify their reasons for relocating, the move comes as US academics express growing concern over President Donald Trump’s cuts to research funding and what Duflo previously described in Le Monde as “unprecedented attacks” on scientific freedom.

In a statement, UZH President Michael Schaepman said the university was “delighted that two of the world’s most influential economists are joining” its faculty.

The announcement coincided with the 2025 Nobel Prize season, where Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting democracy and resisting authoritarian rule in her country. Meanwhile, the Nobel Prize in Economics will be announced on Monday, October 13.