Professor Ufuk Akcigit, the Arnold C. Harberger Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago, is a macroeconomist whose work extensively covers economic growth, industrial policy, innovation, entrepreneurship, productivity, and firm dynamics. He serves as the Director of the Global Center for Economic Growth and is a Co-founder of the Growth Academy, a unique summer school and research network designed for bureaucrats and researchers from middle-income countries. The Growth Academy is a joint initiative between the University of Chicago and the World Bank, focusing on promoting innovative solutions to economic growth challenges.
Professor Akcigit also holds a position as a Research Professor at the Halle Institute for Economic Research in Germany, where he leads a research group studying the economic disparities between East and West Germany. His recent book, "The Economics of Creative Destruction," co-edited with Prof John Van Reenen and published by Harvard University Press, delves into how technological innovation can propel growth and tackle global issues such as inequality and climate change. Additionally, he is the lead academic for the World Bank's most recent World Development Report 2024, which addresses the challenges of the Middle-Income Trap.
Professor Akcigit’s contributions to the field have been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the National Science Foundation's CAREER Grant, the Kiel Institute Excellence Award, the Max Planck-Humboldt Research Award in 2019, the Guggenheim Fellowship in 2021, and the Kiel Institute’s Global Economy Prize in 2022. He was also elected as a Fellow of the Econometric Society in 2021.
Professor Akcigit earned his Ph.D. in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2009. His insights and research continue to influence global economic strategies and foster a deeper understanding of the dynamics of economic growth, productivity, and innovation.
Relevant links:
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Personal Website: www.ufukakcigit.com
Growth Academy: https://bfi.uchicago.edu/growth-academy/
World Development Report 2024: https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2024