Development Economics

June 29 to July 3, 2026 in Amsterdam 

Faculty 

Wendy Janssens is Professor in Development Economics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She is the director of the HERA institute (Health Economics Research Amsterdam) and academic board member of the Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD).

Peter Lanjouw is Professor in Development Economics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He is current editor of the World Bank Research Observer and a past assistant editor of the World Bank Economic Review. 

Remco Oostendorp is Professor of International Economics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He is also a Research Fellow of the Tinbergen Institute (TI), and Resource Person for the African Economic Resource Consortium (AERC). 

Menno Pradhan is Professor in Project and Program Evaluation for International Development at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and University of Amsterdam. He is also a co-academic director of the Amsterdam Institute for International Development and a fellow at the Tinbergen Institute.

Marc Witte is Assistant Professor at the Department of Economics of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He is also a JPAL Invited Researcher, a Research Affiliate at RFBerlin, and a Research Fellow at AIGHD.

Meet the Lecturers

Course

This one-week intensive course explores how poverty and inequality shape — and are shaped by — individual behavior, markets, and policy in developing economies. Through a microeconomic lens, participants will examine how households, firms, and governments interact in contexts of constraint and opportunity. The course combines conceptual and empirical perspectives on key dimensions of development: financial inclusion, human capital, labor markets, and welfare measurement.

Morning sessions feature lectures by leading researchers introducing frontier topics and methods. Afternoon sessions are interactive, featuring applications, data work, and cross-lecturer discussions linking measurement, interventions, and institutions. Participants gain a broad yet rigorous understanding of the microeconomics of development and its policy relevance.

Learning Objectives

After completing the course, participants will be able to:

• Explain key concepts of poverty, inequality, and welfare measurement.
• Analyse how (digital) finance, and public service delivery affect development outcomes.
• Understand and evaluate empirical methods used in impact evaluation and welfare analysis.
• Interpret evidence on labor markets, informal work, and institutional constraints in low-income settings.
• Connect microeconomic insights to broader questions of policy design and inclusive growth.

 Topics

• Concepts and measurement of development, poverty, and inequality.
• (Digital finance), cash transfers, and gender dynamics.
• Public service delivery: health, education, and incentives
• Informal work and labor market institutions.

Literature

Key readings will be provided for each day, including selected journal articles and book chapters. Suggested background texts include:

• Ray, D. (1998). Development Economics. Princeton University Press.
• Banerjee, A. V., & Duflo, E. (2012). Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty. PublicAffairs.
• Deaton, A. (2013). The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality. Princeton University Press

Syllabus

Lectures will be in person in Amsterdam, and the timeline below is provisional.

The course will be a mix of lectures (mornings) and applications, tutorials, and cross-lecturer discussions (afternoons). The course spans five days, Monday to Friday.

Indicative timetable:

• 09:30 – 12:30: Lecture
• 12:30 – 13:30: Lunch
• 13:30 – 15:30: Interactive Session

Level

The Summer School welcomes master’s students, PhD candidates, post-doctoral researchers, and practitioners from ministries, NGOs, international organizations, and the private sector who have an interest in development economics and applied microeconomic research.

Admission requirements

Applicants should be currently enrolled in, or have completed, a MSc, MPhil, or PhD degree in the social sciences. Professionals with equivalent qualifications and relevant experience are also encouraged to apply. A background in quantitative social sciences (economics, econometrics, statistics, or related disciplines) is advantageous.

Participants are expected to be familiar with the basic concepts of econometrics, including linear regression, instrumental variables, panel data, logit/probit models, and hypothesis testing. Ideally, participants will have taken an introductory graduate-level course in econometrics. However, those who have completed advanced courses in statistics or research methods are also suitable. Familiarity with at least one statistical software package is expected, as well as a solid grounding in standard microeconomic theory.