J-PAL

Left: Photo of an electric vehicle being charged. Right: "Featured Event. Impact by Design: Launching a Research Partnership for Accessible Climate Action in Orlando. March 3, 2026, 2-3pm ET, Live over Zoom."

🧵 Upcoming event!
Impact by Design: Launching a Research Partnership for Accessible Climate Action in Orlando | Tuesday, March 3 from 2-3 pm ET mit.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

The Graduation approach began as pilots. Today, it has reached 6.7 million households across multiple countries, with lasting impacts. A decade after the first study, the Partnership for Economic Inclusion has released a survey on the landscape of Graduation. Read more (PDF): https://bit.ly/3OmRzRn

India’s AI summit draws global leaders, big pledges and some chaos The five-day event mixed long lines and viral mishaps with a serious pitch: The future of AI shouldn’t be written only in Washington and Beijing.

Our Global Executive Director Iqbal Dhaliwal spoke to NBC news about the AI Summit in India: “Hosting the Summit here [in the Global South] has allowed the conversation to center the issues that will affect these billions of people.”

🔗 Read the story: https://nbcnews.to/46oGbuj

Feel-good vs do-good AI: J-PAL director calls for reality check on AI tools J-PAL launched the AI Evidence Playbook — a manual to guide government officials on deploying AI responsibly| India News

At the AI Impact Summit today, our Global Executive Director Iqbal Dhaliwal shared a vital message: Don’t confuse engagement metrics with real-world impact. Read more in the Hindustan Times: https://bit.ly/3OkcuEx and check out our brand new AI Evidence Playbook: https://bit.ly/3On3m1U.

YouTube video by IndiaAI AI for Social Good: Aligning Research with National Priorities | India AI Impact Summit 2026

Starting now - watch the live stream of AI for Social Good: Impact That Works, our full-day session at the AI Impact Summit today in New Delhi. Tune in to hear from leaders in tech, govt, research, and civil society on evidence-informed solutions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqDqN0Cbw9k.

As development budgets face increasing pressure, our annual update underscores the importance of evidence in guiding effective, scalable solutions across areas like AI and climate change—and sets an agenda for the year ahead. Explore the digital report: https://bit.ly/4a8CsDv

In our annual update, we share reflections from a challenging year for global development and our vision and priorities for 2026. Explore the digital report, including an opening letter from our Global Exec Director Iqbal Dhaliwal:

🔗 https://bit.ly/4a8CsDv

Data, Economics, and Design of Policy MicroMasters Grapple with some of the world’s most pressing problems from a rigorous, data-driven perspective developed by Nobel prize winners Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee. Complete three core courses and two...

Last week we welcomed the 7th cohort of Data, Economics, and Design of Policy master’s students to @mit.edu 🏛 Each student joined the master's program having already earned their #DEDP MicroMasters credential. Begin your #DEDP journey by enrolling in our online courses: https://bit.ly/3auQROa

🌍 💡 In the last five years, J-PAL's King Climate Action Initiative has informed policies and programs improving the lives of over 30 million people and protecting our planet. Read about their growing impact at the intersection of climate change and poverty: https://bit.ly/4bKyPET

📢 Registered yet for the #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026?

Don’t miss J-PAL’s official event, AI for Social Good: Impact that Works.

📍 New Delhi | Feb 17

⏰ Registrations close soon—register now: j-p.al/ai-summit

How can AI maximize social good, while minimizing risks? Our new AI blog series examines six key pathways: https://bit.ly/3NoQEiT.

Curious to learn more? Join us in February at AI for Social Good: Impact that Works, an official event of India AI Impact Summit: j-p.al/ai-summit.

The new Energy Economics & Policy course in our Data, Economics, & Design of Policy online MicroMasters program is open for enrollment! 🌱 Explore how policy & economics shape energy markets & climate outcomes. It's free to audit—enroll today: https://bit.ly/3L56NJz

Delegating Property Tax Collection to Local Elites in the DRC | The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation during the 2018 property tax collection campaign to test the impact of delegating tax collection to local chiefs. Where local chiefs collected taxes, hous...

🇨🇩 Are local elites in the DRC able to collect taxes more effectively than government? Research by @abergeron.bsky.social with Gabriel Tourek, Pablo Balan, and Jonathan Weigel showed people were more willing to pay their taxes when local chiefs led collection. Read our summary: https://bit.ly/4jydj8h

From oil & gas to renewables—learn how energy markets work and how policy can drive change. ⛽ Enroll now in our free, online Energy Economics and Policy course with @mitxcourses.bsky.social: https://bit.ly/3L56NJz

Can training entrepreneurs early in their careers deliver long-term returns? 📊

A new @nber.org working paper by J-PAL affiliate Paul Gertler and coauthors finds that a short, school-based entrepreneurship program in Uganda led to stronger skills and 20% higher revenues.

📄 https://bit.ly/4bponSW

Build your data analysis skills with Data Analysis for Social Scientists from @mitxcourses.bsky.social 📊

Learn to work with datasets, apply statistical methods, and make evidence-informed decisions that address real-world challenges. Enroll today: https://bit.ly/49Fm7FV

Interested in turning data into actionable insights? 📊

Enroll in Data Analysis for Social Scientists, an online course with @mitxcourses.bsky.social. Learn to navigate complex data to inform decisions. The course is free to audit.

Start learning today: https://bit.ly/49Fm7FV

What are the best ways to design nonprofit and government programs that work? 📊

The DEDP MicroMasters Program from MIT teaches practical tools to evaluate and improve programs and policies using data and economics.

Learn more at our webinar on January 6 at 9 AM ET: https://bit.ly/3MBa6Zf

Can markets solve poverty? What role do NGOs play in development? How do we tackle hunger and education gaps? 🌐

The Challenges of Global Poverty from @mitxcourses.bsky.social examines these crucial questions through economics. Enroll today: https://bit.ly/4q0SGnj

What drives inequality between nations? Can economics guide us toward real solutions? 🌍 Nobel laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo show how evidence can tackle our most pressing challenges in an online course starting Jan 20. Free with @mitxcourses.bsky.social: https://bit.ly/4q4tU5v

What drives inequality? How do we tackle climate change with evidence, not just opinions? 🌍

Nobel laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo guide you through the economics of our toughest global challenges. Explore with @mitxcourses.bsky.social - free and open to all: https://bit.ly/4q4tU5v

📈 Economic models offer practical tools for understanding how markets function and how resources are allocated. Ever wondered what really drives these decisions?

Explore these foundations in Microeconomics with @mitxcourses.bsky.social

Start learning today! https://bit.ly/4pO62Dg

🌍 Learn how data and evidence can inform solutions to persistent poverty in the free-to-audit course The Challenges of Global Poverty with @mitxcourses.bsky.social. Explore poverty traps, microfinance, education, and the role of markets—enroll today! https://bit.ly/4q0SGnj

Join us *tomorrow,* Dec 11 at 8:30am EST for a webinar on lessons from scaling up education programs 💡

Speakers from J-PAL, Teaching at the Right Level Africa, UNICEF, and govt will share lessons on navigating implementation of TaRL inspired curricula.

Register 🔗: https://bit.ly/4a0e0EF

🌍 How do markets—and prices—decide who gets what in a world of scarcity?

Explore the principles of microeconomics with @mitxcourses.bsky.social and learn the models that shape real-world decision-making.

Enroll today! https://bit.ly/4pO62Dg

Does timing matter for disaster relief? New @nber.org study by J-PAL affiliate Gregory Lane & coauthors finds: Cash within days of floods → better food security & well-being vs. same cash months later. Read the paper featuring evidence from #Bangladesh & #Nepal: https://bit.ly/3XBHWPU

Early childhood programs in Indonesia—and many other countries—face gaps in access, quality, & delivery. Earlier this year, policymakers & practitioners met to discuss how a systems-based strategy can help strengthen these programs. Read more about three key levers of change ⬇️ https://bit.ly/4oXRWix

How are parents embracing AI tools for their kids? A new @nber.org study by J-PAL affiliates Leonardo Bursztyn, Christopher Roth & coauthors finds: Social pressure drives AI adoption. Read the paper: https://bit.ly/4pasJ46

How can life skills programs that support girls’ confidence, education, and decision-making be scaled effectively? A recent post on the J-PAL blog draws lessons from research and policy dialogue across Africa.

📖 Read more: https://bit.ly/3JJKZlR

Twelve iterative A/B tests to optimize tutoring for scale In a series of 12 iterative A/B tests, researchers compared two versions of our tutoring program in Botswana to see which performed better. At the end of each test, results were compared and whichever...

When expanding a social program, maintaining impact at scale is hard. What if it wasn’t?

In our new guest post on @j-pal.bsky.social, we share how 12 iterative A/B tests helped us optimize phone-based tutoring, boosting effectiveness and cutting costs.

Read: povertyactionlab.org/blog/11-20-2...