Is AI making us smarter or just making us look smart?
Here’s an uncomfortable truth: Students can ace every assignment in class and learn virtually nothing. Conversely, they can struggle through tasks and learn quite a
The (un)intended consequences of export restrictions
Export restrictions on industrial raw materials are increasingly used by developing economies to climb value chains. This column explores whether Indonesia’s 2014 ban on nickel
From the China Shock to the global relocation of production: Inequality consequences
Globalisation has raised living standards worldwide but has also fuelled concerns that international competition is eroding middle-class incomes and widening inequality within countries. The column
The unbearable lightness of promises
When reforms are judged by their plans rather than their impact, they risk drifting into the lightness of promises unmet. An “outcome reflex” mindset restores gravity—anchoring
Re-imagining South Africa’s state structure for inclusive growth
When economies lose momentum and stagnation becomes entrenched, a shift in thinking and action is imperative. So urged Kofi Annan at a Davos panel decades
Grants to women-owned businesses: when what’s for her does not stay with her
What explains why grants to women-owned microenterprises often fail to yield improvements in business outcomes, especially as compared to grants to men’s microenterprises? This is
Will electric vehicles create jobs in South Asia?
As the global shift toward electric mobility gains momentum, countries are making bold bets on electric vehicles (EVs) to meet their climate goals, reduce fuel
From coal dust to green jobs: The employment imperative in the low-carbon transition
The last coal mine in Wałbrzych, Poland closed in the 1990s, leaving a region that had long relied on mining facing severe economic disruption. Unemployment
Relaunching Europe’s space economy
The global space sector is evolving rapidly. No longer limited to scientific missions and Cold War rivalries, it has become a critical arena for commercial
Powering the energy future of Europe and Central Asia
The prosperity and economic transformation of Europe and Central Asia (ECA) hinge on making energy reliable and affordable for all. Across the region, many countries
