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Browse news articles about J-PAL and our affiliated professors, and read our press releases and monthly global and research newsletters. For media inquiries, please email us.

3 Questions: Applying lessons in data, economics, and policy design to the real world

Gevorg Minasyan MAP ’23 draws on experiences in MIT’s Data, Economics, and Design of Policy MicroMasters and master’s programs to shape policymaking at the Central Bank of Armenia.

July 2025 Global Monthly Newsletter

In the July edition of our newsletter, we celebrate five years of J-PAL Middle East and North Africa and their work to embed rigorous evaluation and learning in policy systems across the region, highlight how the private sector and funders can catalyze change, and share takeaways from an event...

J-PAL MENA At AUC Celebrates Five Years Of Evidence-Policymaking In The Middle East And North Africa

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab Middle East and North Africa (J-PAL MENA) at The American University in Cairo (AUC) marked its fifth anniversary this week, celebrating five years of harnessing the power of evidence to design cost-effective and large-scale policies that address poverty and...

معمل عبد اللطيف جميل لمكافحة الفقر في الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا بالجامعة الأمريكية بالقاهرة يحتفل بمرور خمس سنوات على تعزيز السياسات المستندة إلى الأدلة العلمية

احتفل معمل عبد اللطيف جميل لمكافحة الفقر في الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا بالجامعة الأمريكية بالقاهرة اليوم بمرور خمس سنوات على تأسيسه، احتفاءً بخمس سنوات من تسخير قوة الأدلة لتصميم وتوسيع نطاق السياسات الفعّالة من حيث التكلفة للتخفيف من وطأة الفقر على حياة الأفراد في أنحاء المنطقة.

Study finds better services dramatically help children in foster care

A new study co-authored by researchers shows that an innovative Chilean program providing legal aid to children shortens the length of foster-care stays, returning them to families faster. In the process, it improves long-term social outcomes for kids and even reduces government spending on the...

June 2025 North America Newsletter

J-PAL North America's June newsletter features reflections on our work in Puerto Rico, new research results on the impact of tutor-student gender match, and a recent symposium that the Health Care Delivery Initiative participated in.

Opinion | Esther Duflo, Nobel laureate: 'Development aid is not a waste of public money'

As international solidarity wanes, the 2018 winner of the Nobel in Economics points out that development aid is not a mere crutch, but an investment: Increasingly strong research networks, including in struggling countries, know how to assess needs and identify solutions for overcoming hardship.

Podcast | Iqbal Dhaliwal on Building Better Aid Systems

Iqbal Singh Dhaliwal, the Global Executive Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), dives into the shifting landscape of global development as foreign aid faces cuts. He discusses how we can address the significant changes—through new coalitions and evidence-based solutions—and...