Ahmed Mobarak, PhD
Jerome Kasoff ’54 Professor of Management and EconomicsDownloadHi-Res Photo
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Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
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Titles
Jerome Kasoff ’54 Professor of Management and Economics
Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
Appointments
Economics
ProfessorFully JointSchool of Management
ProfessorFully Joint
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- PhD
- University of Maryland, Economics (2002)
- MA
- University of Maryland, Economics (1999)
- BA
- Macalester College, Math & Economics (1997)
Research
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Overview
Mushfiq Mobarak is an assistant professor of economics at the Yale
School of Management. He is a
development economist with interests in environmental and political economy
public finance issues. Dr. Mobarak
researches ways to induce people in developing countries to adopt technologies
or behaviors that are likely to be welfare improving. His research interests also include the management of water
resources and other infrastructure.
Ongoing field experiments focus on migration, water management, rainfall
insurance and environmental technologies in Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Malawi,
Nigeria and Uganda.
Dr. Mobarak received his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland at College Park. He served as consultant to the Development Impact Evaluation Initiative at the World Bank and to the United Nations Development Programme. Dr. Mobarak received the Most Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award at the University of Colorado and the Resources for the Future John F. Krutilla Fellowship. He is a member of the executive committee of the Yale Global Health Initiative and of the Yale Climate and Energy Institute. Dr. Mobarak is the director of the International Growth Centre’s Research Program in Bangladesh and is a research fellow for the Development Economics Programme at the Center for Economic Policy Research.
Dr. Mobarak received his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland at College Park. He served as consultant to the Development Impact Evaluation Initiative at the World Bank and to the United Nations Development Programme. Dr. Mobarak received the Most Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award at the University of Colorado and the Resources for the Future John F. Krutilla Fellowship. He is a member of the executive committee of the Yale Global Health Initiative and of the Yale Climate and Energy Institute. Dr. Mobarak is the director of the International Growth Centre’s Research Program in Bangladesh and is a research fellow for the Development Economics Programme at the Center for Economic Policy Research.
ORCID
0000-0002-1916-3438
Research at a Glance
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Ahmed Mobarak's research output by year.
48Publications
4,470Citations
Publications
2025
Brain drain or brain gain? Effects of high-skilled international emigration on origin countries
Batista C, Han D, Haushofer J, Khanna G, McKenzie D, Mobarak A, Theoharides C, Yang D. Brain drain or brain gain? Effects of high-skilled international emigration on origin countries. Science 2025, 388: eadr8861. PMID: 40403075, DOI: 10.1126/science.adr8861.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsHuman capital stockOrigin countriesCapital stockForeign direct investmentSkilled migrationReturn migrationInternational emigrationBrain drainMigration opportunitiesLow-income countriesDirect investmentHigh-income countriesTrade linkagesCountriesEmigrationStockRemittancesMigrationCitizensPolicyEconomyNormsTradeInvestmentOpportunitiesThe Productivity Consequences of Pollution-Induced Migration in China
Khanna G, Liang W, Mobarak A, Song R. The Productivity Consequences of Pollution-Induced Migration in China. American Economic Journal Applied Economics 2025, 17: 184-224. DOI: 10.1257/app.20220655.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsAggregate productivityBenefits of clean airSpatial equilibrium modelCounterfactual simulationsEmpirical specificationsWage returnsSpatial equilibriumEquilibrium modelUnskilled workersRe-sortingSkilled workersProductivity consequencesChinaClean airWageReturnPolluted citiesWelfareAggregationPollutionEquilibriumWorkersSpatial distributionThermal inversionProductionTo use financial incentives or not? Insights from experiments in encouraging sanitation investments in four countries
Gautam S, Gechter M, Guiteras R, Mobarak A. To use financial incentives or not? Insights from experiments in encouraging sanitation investments in four countries. World Development 2025, 187: 106791. PMID: 40026693, PMCID: PMC11659501, DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2024.106791.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsFinancial incentivesPoverty statusSanitation investmentsPolicy concernsHygienic latrinesInclusion criteriaIntervention-based studiesInformation campaignsClasses of interventionsSanitationCountriesOutcome measuresIncentivesEducation campaignsCampaignFinancial benefitsLatrinesMicrocreditPovertyMicrodataHouseholdsProduct purchaseSample of studyPolicy
2024
Refugees Are Hosted in Highly Vulnerable Communities
Davis C, López-Peña P, Mobarak A, Wen J. Refugees Are Hosted in Highly Vulnerable Communities. AEA Papers And Proceedings 2024, 114: 75-79. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20241057.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPolitical backlashEconomic hardshipRefugee crisisRohingya peopleWorld’s refugeesHumanitarian responseRefugeesDisadvantaged communitiesRefugee campsHost communitiesVulnerable communitiesSocioeconomically disadvantaged communitiesMicroregional levelCommunityBangladeshNational hostsHardshipBacklashCrisisOriginal dataSocioeconomicallyLast-mile delivery increases vaccine uptake in Sierra Leone
Meriggi N, Voors M, Levine M, Ramakrishna V, Kangbai D, Rozelle M, Tyler E, Kallon S, Nabieu J, Cundy S, Mobarak A. Last-mile delivery increases vaccine uptake in Sierra Leone. Nature 2024, 627: 612-619. PMID: 38480877, PMCID: PMC10954551, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07158-w.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsChild health interventionsMobile vaccination teamsRural areas of Sierra LeoneRandomized Controlled TrialsHealth professionalsIntervention sitesHealth interventionsIntervention costsCommunity mobilizationImmunization ratesRemote populationsSierra LeoneControlled TrialsRural areasDelivery of doseInterventionVaccine uptakeAccess difficultiesVaccination teamsBehavioral issuesVaccination pointsVaccine deliveryRemote villagesCommunityCOVID-19 vaccine
2023
Encouragement and distortionary effects of conditional cash transfers
Bryan G, Chowdhury S, Mobarak A, Morten M, Smits J. Encouragement and distortionary effects of conditional cash transfers. Journal Of Public Economics 2023, 228: 105004. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2023.105004.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsUnconditional cash transfersCash transfersSeasonal labor migrationConditional cash transfer programConditional cash transfersDistortionary effectsCash transfer programLabor migrationReturn participantsSocial goalsRural IndonesiaSocial returnsUnintended consequencesCCT programTransfer programsTransfer sizeEmpirical evidenceEarnings decreasesTransfer amountPotential distortionsReturnSocial and financial incentives for overcoming a collective action problem
Bakhtiar M, Guiteras R, Levinsohn J, Mobarak A. Social and financial incentives for overcoming a collective action problem. Journal Of Development Economics 2023, 162: 103072. PMID: 37139484, PMCID: PMC10115903, DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2023.103072.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPercentage point increaseMedium termPoint increasePublic health externalitiesCommunity-level collective actionShort termInvestment decisionsCollective action problemsHealth externalitiesPublic pledgeFinancial incentivesLatrine ownershipFinancial rewardsHygienic latrinesAction problemsSanitation investmentsSocial normsHouseholdsNeighboring householdsOwnershipPublic commitmentSocial recognitionGroup membersRural BangladeshStrong impact
2022
The Economics of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Poor Countries
Miguel E, Mobarak A. The Economics of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Poor Countries. Annual Review Of Economics 2022, 14: 253-285. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-economics-051520-025412.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPolicy responsesLiving standardsDistinct policy responsesCOVID-19 pandemicRich countriesMajor shocksPoor countriesGender equalityInternational governanceDiscussion of implicationsPublic policyMiddle-income countriesEmpirical researchNoneconomic effectsCountriesParticular focusDifferent consequencesEconomistsEconomicsPandemicLMICsGovernanceFuture pandemicsPolicyShock
2021
Subsidies for technology adoption: Experimental evidence from rural Cameroon
Meriggi N, Bulte E, Mobarak A. Subsidies for technology adoption: Experimental evidence from rural Cameroon. Journal Of Development Economics 2021, 153: 102710. DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2021.102710.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsShort-term subsidiesLow use intensityFuture willingnessAllocative roleAuction designNew productsStrike pricePurchase priceSubsidiesPricesTechnology adoptionFuture demandWillingnessTwo-stage experimentNet effectPayRural CameroonSame productUse intensityMain resultsHouseholdsBeneficiariesEvidenceDemandSocial learningCan Network Theory-Based Targeting Increase Technology Adoption?
Beaman L, BenYishay A, Magruder J, Mobarak A. Can Network Theory-Based Targeting Increase Technology Adoption? American Economic Review 2021, 111: 1918-1943. DOI: 10.1257/aer.20200295.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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Activities
activity Integrated Agriculture Productivity Program
01/01/2012 - 01/01/2015ResearchDetailsBangladeshAbstract/SynopsisOur research addresses the low uptake of improved cookstoves with positive health and environmental impacts in developing countries. We focus on the role of differences in preferences for cookstoves by gender.
activity Stoves - Addressing Discordance between Husbands’ and Wives’ Preferences and Risk Aversion as Barriers to Improved Stove Adoption
01/01/2013 - PresentResearchDetailsIndiaAbstract/SynopsisOur research addresses the low uptake of improved cookstoves with positive health and environmental impacts in developing countries. We focus on the role of differences in preferences for cookstoves by gender.
activity Impact of Vocational Training on the Employability, Earning Potential, and Sexual Behavior of Youth in Malawi
01/01/2013 - PresentResearchDetailsMalawiAbstract/SynopsisA randomized evaluation is used to test the effectiveness of a vocational training program in reducing unemployment and HIV incidence among vulnerable youth. URL: A randomized evaluation is used to test the effectiveness of a vocational training program in reducing unemployment and HIV incidence among vulnerable youth.
activity Savings and Informal Risk Sharing
01/01/2013 - PresentResearchDetailsRwandaAbstract/Synopsisnew project
activity Decentralization and the Political Economy of Water Pollution
01/01/2012 - PresentResearchDetailsBrazilAbstract/SynopsisIn this study we examine the effect of political decentralization on pollution spillovers across jurisdictional boundaries. We found that the greatest polluting activity appears very close to the exiting border into another county, demonstrating evidence of strategic enforcement of water pollution regulations. URL: http://faculty.som.yale.edu/mushfiqmobarak/Spillovers%20Brazil.htm
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