Nobel laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, who currently serve as professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), will move to Switzerland next year to join the University of Zurich (UZH). The university has announced that the couple will start their positions in the economics faculty in July 2026, where they will also create the Lemann Centre for Development, Education, and Public Policy. UZH President Michael Schaepman expressed excitement about welcoming two of the world’s leading economists to their faculty. Banerjee and Duflo, awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics alongside Michael Kremer for their innovative approaches to reducing global poverty, will each hold endowed chairs funded by the Lemann Foundation.
This relocation occurs amid rising concerns regarding diminishing research support and limitations on academic freedom in the US during President Donald Trump’s administration, with experts warning of a potential scientific brain drain. Duflo, a dual US-French citizen, co-wrote an op-ed in Le Monde earlier this year denouncing the “unprecedented attacks” on American science. The couple stated that the new Lemann Centre would enable them to broaden their ongoing research, mentorship, and policy initiatives that connect academia with real-world development issues. They will still retain part-time positions at MIT.
Meanwhile, the 2025 Nobel Prizes have acknowledged significant accomplishments in various fields including medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, and peace, with Venezuela’s María Corina Machado being awarded the Peace Prize for her commitment to advancing democracy and human rights.