The network effect: The legacy of the Economic Growth Center’s Country Studies program

Paul Kuznets (second from left) with colleagues from the Bank of Korea during the 1966-67 academic year as part of the Country Studies program. Photo courtesy Paul Kuznets.
Paul Kuznets (second from left) with colleagues from the Bank of Korea during the 1966-67 academic year as part of the Country Studies program. Photo courtesy Paul Kuznets.
01/07/21

United Nations consultant, algorithmic stock trader, chief economist of the Office of Management and Budget, Marxist theorist. These are just some of the jobs held by the alumni of the Country Studies program, the flagship research agenda of Yale’s Economic Growth Center (EGC).

When the EGC was founded in 1961, it sent 25 young economists into the field to gather data and write books on the economies of developing countries. But the impact of this effort, known as the Country Studies program, transcends the volumes that were ultimately published. The program shaped careers and networks that have been influential not just within academia, but also to governments, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations.

Though the program ended 50 years ago, its legacy continues. As the Economic Growth Center celebrates its 60th anniversary during the 2020-21 academic year, it also celebrates this generation of economists whose leadership helped the field grow. Learn more about the EGC alumni and their work here.