The 2024 edition of our Summer School on Poverty and Inequality concludes successfully

The UB School of Economics proudly announces the successful conclusion of the Summer School on “The Economics of Poverty and Inequality: Global Challenges in the 21st Century.” This intensive course, held over the past few days, brought together 24 participants from 17 countries, representing various academic and professional backgrounds, including the United Nations, World Health Organization (WHO-HQ Geneva), Institute Economics of Inequality, Institut Català de Polítiques Públiques, and Institut Català d’Avaluació de Polítiques Públiques.

Addressing the critical global challenges of poverty and inequality, the Summer School was designed to align with the first Sustainable Development Goal: to “end poverty in all its forms everywhere.” The course also aimed to contribute to other key goals such as zero hunger, better health, better education, and reduced inequalities.

Participants were introduced to essential topics in poverty and inequality research. These included the measurement and analysis of poverty, conceptual integration, the availability and limitations of data, and the policy context surrounding poverty measures. Emphasis was placed on both economic intuition and formal reasoning, with practical lab sessions requiring basic Stata skills.

The 2024 edition of the Summer School was coordinated by Nicolai Suppa from the University of Barcelona. Natalie Naïri Quinn, who is a Departmental Lecturer in the Department of Economics and a Fellow and Tutor in Economics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University, also participated as a lecturer. The guest lecturers were:

– Iñaki Permanyer, an ICREA Research Professor working at the Center for Demographic Studies (CED) at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
– Xavier Ramos, Professor of Economics and Vice-Rector of Economy at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
– Jordi Teixidó, Assistant Professor in Economics at the University of Barcelona.
– Sabina Alkire, Professor of Poverty and Human Development at Oxford University and Director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).
– Samuel Kofi Tetteh Baah, Economist in the Development Data Group at The World Bank.
– Christian Oldiges, Senior Economic Affairs Officer at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA).

As the Summer School concludes, participants leave with a deeper understanding and new insights into the complex issues of poverty and inequality. The knowledge and skills gained during this course are expected to empower them to contribute effectively to addressing these challenges in their respective fields and regions.

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