Two faculty members of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) have made history by becoming the first Pakistani academics invited to join the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the university announced.
Dr. Ali Cheema, vice chancellor of LUMS, is a professor of economics and politics and co-founder of the Mahbub ul Haq Research Center, with research interests spanning political economy, development, and governance. Dr. Farah Said, an associate professor of economics, focuses on gender, labor markets, and poverty, and has led several randomized control trials on empowerment and development interventions.
“LUMS is proud to announce that Dr. Farah Said and Dr. Ali Cheema have been invited to join J-PAL at MIT as Affiliated Professors — the first from any Pakistani university to achieve this distinction,” the university said in a statement.
Co-founded by Nobel laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, J-PAL is one of the world’s leading institutions dedicated to advancing evidence-based policymaking to combat poverty. Its network of Affiliated Professors includes leading economists from top universities around the world, including five Nobel Prize winners.
Read Top Stories
LUMS noted that the selection of Dr. Cheema and Dr. Said recognizes their impactful contributions in economics and political economy, with research published in prestigious journals such as the Journal of Political Economy, American Political Science Review, Science, Economic Journal, and American Economic Journal: Applied Economics. The university described the milestone as a proud moment for LUMS, the wider economics community in Pakistan, and the country as a whole, as it contributes to shaping global research.
In their remarks, the two professors credited their colleagues, co-authors, and students for supporting their academic journey. “This is an exciting time to be part of Pakistan’s community of economists, with more Pakistani-origin scholars influencing global research on issues of vital importance to the country,” they said. “We are also witnessing the rise of outstanding young Pakistani researchers who are asking critical questions about why economies, polities, and societies are failing to deliver for their people.”