Nobel prize winning economists couple Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee are set to quit US and join University of Zurich in Sweden

The University of Zurich said on Friday that the Nobel prize winning economists couple Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee, who won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics alongside Michael Kremer for their “experimental approach to alleviating global poverty,” will join its Department of Economics on July 1, 2026, as Lemann Foundation Professors of Economics.  

Nobel Prize–winning economists Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee are set to leave the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to join the University of Zurich (UZH) next year.  The move comes at a time when US universities are clashing with the White House over restrictions linked to federal research funding.

“I am delighted to share that Nobel laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee will join our Department of Economics at the University of Zurich on July 1, 2026, as Lemann Foundation Professors of Economics,” announced Florian Scheuer, UBS Professor and Chair of the Department of Economics, in a post on X.  

The couple had won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics alongside Michael Kremer for their “experimental approach to alleviating global poverty".   

Scheuer described their arrival as “a true quantum leap” for the university, calling it a milestone for Zurich’s growing reputation as a hub for world-class economic research.

At UZH, Duflo and Banerjee will co-lead the Lemann Centre for Development, Education and Public Policy, a major initiative backed by a CHF 26 million (USD 32 million) donation from Brazil’s Lemann Foundation. 

The centre aims to promote policy-relevant research and connect academics and policymakers globally, particularly between Switzerland and Brazil.

“We are delighted that two of the world’s most influential economists are joining UZH,” University president Michael Schaepman told the University of Zurich. “They combine scientific theory with social impact — a key concern for us. Their presence will strengthen our values and international visibility.”

Duflo told the University of Zurich that the new Lemann Centre would allow them to “build on and expand our work, which bridges academic research, student mentorship, and real-world policy impact.” 

Banerjee said: “We have no doubt that the University of Zurich will be an excellent environment for us to pursue our research and policy work in the years to come.”

The pair will retain part-time positions at MIT and continue leading their research network, the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL).

Their move comes as MIT — their longtime academic home — becomes the first major US university to reject new federal funding conditions set by the Trump administration.

In a letter to US Education Secretary Linda McMahon, MIT President Sally Kornbluth said she “cannot support” a White House memo that ties preferential funding to compliance with policies limiting international student enrollment, diversity measures, and gender definitions.

“The premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone,” Kornbluth said.

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