Development Economics

About

This one-week intensive course explores how poverty and inequality shape — and are shaped by — individual behavior, markets, and policy in developing economies. Through a microeconomic lens, participants will examine how households, firms, and governments interact in contexts of constraint and opportunity. The course combines conceptual and empirical perspectives on key dimensions of development: financial inclusion, human capital, labor markets, and welfare measurement

Course leader

Prof. Dr. Wendy Janssens, Prof. Dr. Peter Lanjouw, Prof. Dr. Remco Oostendorp, Prof. Dr. Menno Pradhan (Vrije Universiteit and University of Amsterdam), Dr. Marc Witte (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

Target group

The Summer School welcomes master’s students, PhD candidates, post-doctoral researchers, and practitioners from ministries, NGOs, international organizations, and the private sector who have an interest in development economics and applied microeconomic research

Course aim

After completing the course, participants will be able to:

Explain key concepts of poverty, inequality, and welfare measurement.
Analyse how (digital) finance, and public service delivery affect development outcomes.
Understand and evaluate empirical methods used in impact evaluation and welfare analysis.
Interpret evidence on labor markets, informal work, and institutional constraints in low-income settings.
Connect microeconomic insights to broader questions of policy design and inclusive growth

Fee info

Early Bird: applications must be submitted before April 13, 2026 to avail of this discount. The course fee covers tuition, course materials, daily lunches and coffee/tea during short breaks, social event including a dinner and farewell drinks. The course fee does not include accommodation.