BIG Forum 2025

The Building Inclusive Growth Forum at the University of Notre Dame, September 25 and 26, 2025

You are invited to the first conference of the Building Inclusive Growth (BIG) Lab, focused on addressing structural barriers to equitable economic growth in low- and middle-income countries.

Stay connected with the BIG Lab 

Thursday, September 25

Location: Hesburgh Center for International Studies, Auditorium and Foyer

4:00 Registration Open

4:30 Welcome

Welcome by Joseph Kaboski, BIG Lab's Founding Director and Professor of Economics

4:45 Fireside Chat

Introduction by Mary Gallagher, Dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs

Dean Karlan, Northwestern University, former chief economist, USAID in conversation with Lakshmi Iyer, BIG Lab Director and Professor of Economics and Global Affairs

6:00 - 7:30 Opening Reception

Friday, September 26

Location: Hesburgh Center for International Studies, Auditorium and Foyer

8:00 Coffee & Refreshments

8:30 Gender, Norms and Work

Alejandro Estefan, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab

“Outsourcing Policy and Worker Outcomes: Causal Evidence from a Mexican Ban”

Paul Novosad, Dartmouth College

“Cultural Capital and Economic Opportunity in Rural India”

Danila Serra, Texas A&M University

“From Jobs to Careers: Understanding Aspirations, Opportunities, and Barriers Among Working Women in South Asia”

Moderated by Brenda Samaniego de la Parra, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab

10:00 Coffee

10:30 Keynote Address

Introduction by James Sullivan, Professor of Economics & Director of the Notre Dame Poverty Initiative

Ted Miguel, University of California, Berkeley

11:30 Human Capital

Jere Behrman, University of Pennsylvania

“Starting Strong: Medium- and Longer-run Benefits of Mexico's Universal Preschool Mandate”

Taryn Dinkelman, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab

“Does Education Make Women Work? Labor Market Impacts of Free Primary Education in Africa”

Manisha Shah, University of California, Berkeley

“Reducing bias among health care providers: Experimental evidence from Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and Pakistan”

Moderated by Rebecca Thornton, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab

1:00 Keynote Address & Lunch

Introduction by Eric Sims, Notre Dame Economics Department Chair

Pete Klenow, Stanford University

2:30 Trade & Structural Transformation

Rodrigo Adao, University of Chicago Booth School

"From Heterogeneous Firms to Heterogeneous Trade Elasticities: The Aggregate Implications of Firm Export Decisions"

Heitor Pellegrina, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab

"Directed Innovation meets Economic Development: Embrapa and Brazil's Agricultural Revolution"

Jing Zhang, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

“Deindustrialization and Industry Polarization”

Moderated by Jeremy Majerovitz, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab

4:00 Coffee

4:30 Political Economy

Saad Gulzar, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab

"Pay-to-Play: Political Contributions and Long-term Distortions in Public Procurement"

Enrico Spolaore, Tufts University

“Cultural Remittances and Modern Fertility”

Lakshmi Iyer, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab

“Political Incumbents and India’s Electoral Redistricting”

Moderated by Enrique Seira Bejarano, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab

6:00 Closing

Many thanks to our sponsors