Overview

• UZH said Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee will start on July 1, 2026 as Lemann Foundation Professors in its Department of Economics.
• The two will co-lead the new Lemann Centre for Development, Education and Public Policy to expand policy-relevant research and training.
• A CHF 26 million donation from Brazil’s Lemann Foundation will finance the centre and endow both professorships.
• Duflo and Banerjee will keep part-time roles at MIT and continue co-leading the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL).
• They plan to bring their ADEPT training program to Zurich, while news reports note UZH gave no reason for the move as debate grows over U.S. research funding and academic freedom.