The Building Inclusive Growth (BIG) Lab seeks to address structural barriers to equitable economic growth in low- and middle-income countries. We generate evidence-based approaches for tackling these barriers at both macroeconomic and microeconomic levels. Such research requires a range of methodologies to make progress, and methodological breadth is a strength of our researchers.

We bring together faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates to address the root causes of global poverty. We understand that individuals in poverty face a complex set of barriers, and our researchers investigate the role of myriad factors in creating and sustaining inclusive growth, including institutional constraints, poor policies, market failures, societal biases and the lack of human capital or employment opportunities.

Our lab is unified by a common commitment to economic development and a strong emphasis on quantitatively-oriented methodologies. We welcome researchers from varied disciplinary backgrounds and institutional affiliations.

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To protect the welfare of Sri Lankan migrant workers, hold recruitment agencies accountable

Assistant Professor Nilesh Fernando writes, "The 2022 Football World Cup in Qatar centered the world’s attention on the abuse faced by thousands of primarily South Asian migrant construction workers. The spectacle was a rare opportunity to press the case for reform not just in Qatar, but across many Gulf-region governments whose glittering skylines conceal a staggering amount of migrant abuse. Yet, just as the fervour of fair weather football fans has waned, so too have international outrage and promises of reform."