Interns

From Chips to Beyond: Taiwan’s Need for Economic Diversification

By Rachel Chang

The fate of Taiwan's economy hangs in the balance as the semiconductor industry encounters mounting geopolitical pressures from the United States and China. Although Taiwan's dominance in the chip market provides a short-term advantage, it also exposes the economy to vulnerabilities. Taiwan must diversify into other industries in order to achieve a more stable path of growth and development and...

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Setting the Grounds to Measure Smallholder Farmers' Complexity

By Laura Romero

The Growth Lab has estimated economic complexity, a measure of knowhow agglomeration, for several countries worldwide. However, measuring complexity in the agricultural sector poses a significant challenge. What is more, measuring it for smallholder farmers around the world is even more complex. Through our work, we have laid the groundwork for future measures of complexity for this population...

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Student Stories: Collecting Evidence to Help Smallholder Farmers Around the World

Photo of Laura RomeroLaura Romero is a first-year MPA/ID student at Harvard Kennedy School. She was accepted into the Growth Lab's 2022 Fall RA Program and contributed to our Initiative on Agriculture where the work included developing a framework to determine products that are suitable for smallholder farming agriculture and its integration into markets.... Read more about Student Stories: Collecting Evidence to Help Smallholder Farmers Around the World

'Aha' moments: On the ground in Kazakhstan with the private sector

By Yomna Mohei Eldin

Kazakhstan is one of the least densely populated countries in the world. It has an area roughly equal to that of all of Western Europe and a population of 19 million – around that of the Netherlands. Kazakhstan became Independent in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union and shortly thereafter experienced an oil boom. The global commodity super-cycle ended in 2014, and oil prices fell. Kazakhstan’s unique socioeconomic history and its vulnerability to commodity price shocks...

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Reflections on Decarbonization: Wyoming vs. Japan

By Ryosuke Shimizu

This summer, as a Growth Lab intern, I conducted research on decarbonization in the United States. To gain a better understanding of this topic, I worked with an economist at the Center for Business and Economic Analysis (CBEA) at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. CBEA's primary task is to work with other departments and state agencies to conduct economic assessments of industrial projects in Wyoming. Most...

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African Continental Integration: Lessons from East Africa

By Lucy Luo

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which came into force in January 2021, is the world's largest new free trade area since the establishment of the World Trade Organization in 1994. It is expected to facilitate intra-African trade and improve the competitiveness of African industry and enterprises. While there is great momentum behind the agreement, its successful implementation still depends on thoughtful policy choices. In this blog post, we explore what lessons can be drawn from previous regional economic integration experiences.... Read more about African Continental Integration: Lessons from East Africa

Student Stories: Inspired by the Growth Diagnostics Framework

Photo of Jack GisbyJack Gisby recently graduated with an MPA (Economic Policy) from the London School of Economics. As part of the Growth Lab's 2022 Summer Internship Program, he contributed to the newly formed Pan-Africa research agenda. Our team is exploring the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the underlying constraints that have held African nations back from economic diversification and structural transformation.... Read more about Student Stories: Inspired by the Growth Diagnostics Framework

Student Stories: Tackling Transportation Infrastructure in Kazakhstan

Yomna Mohei EldinYomna Mohei Eldin is a second-year MPA/ID student at Harvard Kennedy School. She was accepted into the Growth Lab's 2022 Summer Internship Program and contributed to our policy engagement in Kazakhstan where our research aims to identify and prioritize investment opportunities and policy options to drive sustainable economic growth and diversification.... Read more about Student Stories: Tackling Transportation Infrastructure in Kazakhstan

Student Stories: Assessing Decarbonization (and the Rodeo) in Wyoming

Ryosuke Shimizu photoRyosuke Shimizu is a second-year MPA/ID student at Harvard Kennedy School. He was accepted into the Growth Lab's 2022 Summer Internship Program and contributed to our policy engagement in Wyoming. Initial work will focus on understanding the causes of economic stagnation that have resulted in a deficit of job opportunities. We will also examine the risks and opportunities for the future of Wyoming’s economy, including automation and global decarbonization.... Read more about Student Stories: Assessing Decarbonization (and the Rodeo) in Wyoming

Student Stories: Challenges and Public Sector Growth in Namibia

María Ignacia Ossa is a second-year MPP student at the London School of Economics and Political Science. As part of the Growth Lab's 2022 Summer Internship Program, she contributed to the project in Namibia. This two-year policy engagement with the Government of Namibia focuses on supporting implementation efforts on a range of growth- and inclusion-related challenges.... Read more about Student Stories: Challenges and Public Sector Growth in Namibia

Student Stories: Analyzing Trade with UAE's Ministry of Economy

Enzo Dominguez Prost head shotEnzo Dominguez Prost is a second-year MPA/ID student at Harvard Kennedy School. He was accepted into the Growth Lab's 2022 Summer Internship Program and contributed to the UAE project. Our team is developing rigorous research to inform the Ministry of Economy in devising a dynamic trade policy, geared towards promoting structural transformation in the UAE and achieving sustained long-term economic growth.... Read more about Student Stories: Analyzing Trade with UAE's Ministry of Economy

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