Dylan is currently working as a research assistant in development economics at the Mind and Behaviour Research Group (MBRG), based at the Blavatnik School of Government. He previously worked as a research associate in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he coordinated the implementation of randomized controlled trials focusing on state capacity and urban access. His research interests lie at the intersection between development economics, culture, and behavioural economics. He holds a BA in liberal arts and sciences from University College Maastricht and a MSc in development management from the London School of Economics.
George has a BSc Economics with Economic History from the LSE and an MSc in Economics for Development from the University of Oxford. His research interests are focused on mental health and labour market interactions, and, at the MBRG, his research focuses on these topics in Kenya and South Africa. As the Group’s lab manager, George also manages administrative and financial activities and supports on outreach activity. George was previously a research assistant, at the LSE, working on topics in behavioural and development economics.
Contact:
george.macdonald@bsg.ox.ac.uk
Anasuya is a Research Assistant with the Mind and Behaviour Research Group (MBRG) at the Blavatnik School of Government.
Anasuya holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Durham University, and an MSc in Economics for Development from the University of Oxford. Further to this, she consulted with the Government of Delhi on several projects in the domains of education, health, and urban transportation for two years.
Anasuya is also an avid debater, and has been a public speaking coach with organisations such as the English Speaking Union. Her research interests lie in the field of development economics, with a focus on firms, labour and behavioural economics.
About
Dr Kate Orkin is Associate Professor in Economics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government and a Supernumerary Fellow of Merton College.
Prior to this, she was a Junior Research Fellow at Merton College. Kate completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Cape Town. She did her MPhil and DPhil at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, finishing in 2015.
Kate has worked extensively at the interface of research and policy in taking successful evidence-based interventions to scale. She and her team have worked closely with national and local governments and NGOs, including GiveDirectly, the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator and BRAC, to co-design, test and cost interventions, and then build delivery systems and political will for scale-up. In the past, Kate has done policy advisory work for the South African Presidency, World Bank and International Food Policy Research Institute.
Contact
Email: kate.orkin@bsg.ox.ac.uk
Click here for personal website
About
Stefan Dercon is Director of the Centre for the Study of African Economies and a Professorial Fellow of Jesus College. He is also Professor of Economic Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government and the Economics Department. Between 2011 and 2017, he was Chief Economist of the Department of International Development (DFID), the government department in charge with the UK’s aid policy and spending. His research interests concern what keeps some people and countries poor: the failures of markets, governments and politics, mainly in Africa, and how to achieve change. Current research work focuses on the psychological challenges of poverty, the challenges of industrialisation in Africa, the challenges and opportunities of new technologies, and how to organise and finance responses to natural disasters and protracted humanitarian crises.
Contact
Email: stefan.dercon@bsg.ox.ac.uk
Click here for personal website
