Gunning was awarded the order of merit by Marc Witteman, mayor of Stichtse Vecht, at the Academy Afternoon Session of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). Professor Gunning: “I think it’s fantastic that so many people have worked so hard in these fields.”
Since 1970, Jan Willem Gunning has conducted research into impact assessment, changes in poverty and the effects of risks on the growth of developing areas. He is praised for building bridges between development economics and mainstream economics, and for his critical reflections on the role and efficacy of development assistance.
Gunning worked at the World Bank in Washington, DC, in the United States, and as Professor at Oxford University, where he ran the Centre for the Study of African Economies. Since 2011, he has held the position of general secretary of the KNAW, and he is a member of the board of the Amsterdam Institute for International Development (AIID).