Institute for International Economic Policy

The IIEP Ultra-poverty Initiative

IIEP faculty led by Professors James Foster and Stephen Smith are engaged in research and policy analysis on extreme (or ultra-) poverty in the developing world. IIEP's ultra-poverty initiative focuses on basic and applied research, organizing conferences, work with international organizations, and both technical and policy publications. IIEP is well placed to emerge as one of the world's leading centers for scholarship on global poverty with our widely cited research and high-quality events building to a major international conference in spring 2012.

Our overarching theme is multidimensional measurement and analysis of poverty and poverty programs. James Foster's influential work on multidimensional measurement provides the underpinnings of the new UNDP Multidimensional Poverty Index; Professor Foster is applying this work to measurement in several fields including educational quality, women's wellbeing, health, nutrition, and corruption. In addition, IIEP faculty are working on design and impact of multidimensional poverty programs, multidimensional screening of poverty program eligibility, and multidimensional poverty traps analysis. Read the complete overview here.

Recent Events

Announcement: IIEP is pleased to announce that the Conference on Ultra-poverty will take place at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs on March 22-23, 2012.
To view the symposium schedule, please click here.
You can also view video clips from the event here.

History

In 2009, with the support of a generous donor who has chosen to remain anonymous, the IIEP Ultra-poverty Initiative was launched at the Institute for International Economic Policy, which is part of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. Since then, there have been over a dozen IIEP events on poverty and human development, with many more to come.

The Initiative is coordinated by James E. Foster and Stephen C. Smith; several other GW faculty are participating. You may read about other IIEP faculty with expertise in poverty and download IIEP working papers on poverty.

Upcoming Events

Past Events

February 28, 2011 - Andrew W. Horowitz, University of Arkansas "Self Interest, Altruism, and Super-Altruism in Foreign Aid: A Theoretical Model and Empirical Test" co-sponsored with the Economics Department.

May 6 and 7, 2010 - Joint GWU-UN Development Program Workshop on "Multidimensional Poverty: Latin America and the Caribbean"

April 26, 2010 - "From Recovery to Sustained Growth: Policymakers Challenges", co-sponsored with School of Business and the Commission on Growth and Development, with noted international economic policymakers.

March 23, 2010 - Liz Scroeder, Georgetown University, "The Effects of Microfinance in Bangladesh", co-sponsored with the Economics Department.

January 12, 2010 - Sarah Baird, GWU, "Designing Cost-Effective Cash Transfer Programs to Boost Schooling Among Young Women in Sub-Saharan Africa"

December 10, 2009 - Chris Barrett, Cornell University, "The Performance of Index Based Livestock Insurance: Ex Ante Assessment in the Presence of a Poverty Trap"

December 8, 2009 - Filipe R. Campante, Harvard University, "A Centered Index of Spatial Concentration: Expected Influence Approach and Application to Population and Capital Cities"

November 13, 2009 - Vera Chiodi, Poverty Action Lab J-PAL Europe and Paris School of Economics, "The Existence of Poverty Traps: Old Question-New Answer. Evidence from Rural Mexico"

October 8, 2009 - Maria Heracleous, American University "Education Transfers and the Demand for Education in Urban Mexico," co-sponsored with the Economics Department.