Eliana La Ferrara
Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School; Programme Director, Development Economics, CEPR
Eliana La Ferrara is a Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. She is a Past President of the Econometric Society and Program Director of Development Economics for the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR). She is also a J-PAL Affiliate, a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Economic Association, and an International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Recent work by Eliana La Ferrara
-
Can providing information reduce risky migration?
In Guinea, providing information about the risks of migration journeys corrects overly optimistic beliefs and significantly reduces irregular migration intentions and behaviour among young people, without discouraging regular migration.
Published 16.03.26
-
A stepping stone approach to mitigating harmful social norms
Can an intermediate, less severe action serve as a stepping stone to eliminating a harmful norm? Research on female genital cutting in Somalia suggests that the intermediate action risks becoming the new norm.
Published 17.07.25
-
The power of edutainment: Evidence from Brazil and Nigeria
Telenovelas in Brazil helped reduce fertility rates, while an MTV drama increased knowledge about HIV in Nigeria and encouraged safer sexual practices
Published 28.04.21
-
How inheritance reform can hurt education
Evidence from Ghana shows that policy reforms on land titling and land rights have implications beyond their impact on agricultural productivity
Published 19.06.19
-
Did MTV really help prevent HIV?
Evidence from Nigeria suggests that edutainment can promote safer sexual practices and reach a large portion of the population at a low cost
Published 03.11.18
-
Building a functional state in difficult places
Eliana La Ferrara outlines four ways to improve state functionality in fragile environments.
Published 01.06.18
-
The entertaining way to behavioural change: Fighting HIV with MTV in Nigeria
Evidence from Nigeria suggests that TV shows can promote safer sexual practices mainly through learning, rather than social conformity
Published 23.05.18
-
Building a functional state in difficult places
Eliana La Ferrara outlines four ways to improve state functionality in fragile environments.
Published 04.04.18
-
Goals and gaps: Tackling educational segregation of immigrant children
Career counselling helps close the immigrant-native gap in high-school track choice, grade repetition, and cognitive skills
Published 12.03.18