From Chicago to Chennai: Policymaking on a Backpacker’s Budget

We must first learn from what has already been done—on the ground, not just in the classroom.

“International development” has long been an important topic in economics departments, including within the very notable University of Chicago’s under Milton Friedman. But while development theories battled in academia during the latter-half of the twentieth century, on-the-ground work in one very important area—the field of microfinance—was just beginning.

This spring break I took my grounding in University of Chicago economics training to the field to study microfinance in its biggest and most promising market: India.

Complete article here.