Amid funding cuts and restrictions on academic freedom under Donald Trump’s second-term administration in the United States, US-based Nobel laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee have announced plans to join the University of Zurich (UZH) in Switzerland.

The couple, who are currently professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), are expected to begin their new roles at UZH on July 1, 2026. However, they will continue to hold part-time appointments at MIT, maintaining their academic ties with the institution.

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UZH confirms appointment

The UZH, in a statement, confirmed that Duflo and Banerjee will soon join the educational institute to establish a new centre for development econo

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