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Education: The Brain Gain

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Education does not benefit only its recipients; it has a profound impact on national economic outcomes. Poor educational performance may be a determining factor in the inability of Latin American countries to rise from middle- to high-income status over the last 50 years. Likewise, education could explain why Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan attained high-income status, while countries like Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia cannot complete the middle-income transition. Policymakers, economists, educators, and business leaders debate and advance innovative ideas about educational practice and policy.

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  1. Giving Afghan Girls the Education They Demand
    sherif10_WAKIL KOHSARAFP via Getty Images_afghanistan girls WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images

    Giving Afghan Girls the Education They Demand

    Aug 16, 2024 Yasmine Sherif urges public- and private-sector donors to increase funding for non-formal schooling in the country.

  2. The Right Industrial Policy Is Knowledge Policy
    tsantos2_MANJUNATH KIRANAFP via Getty Images_indiasemiconductor Manjunath Kiran/AFP via Getty Images

    The Right Industrial Policy Is Knowledge Policy

    Jul 3, 2024 Tano Santos & Luigi Zingales outline a strategy for fostering the diffusion of innovation in a fragmented geopolitical environment.

  3. America’s Childcare Is Unfit for the Postmodern Age
    ackerman2_Brian van der Brug Los Angeles Times via Getty Images_preschool Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    America’s Childcare Is Unfit for the Postmodern Age

    Apr 23, 2024 Bruce Ackerman urges US President Joe Biden to put universal preschool at the center of his re-election campaign.

  4. What Critics of American Higher Education Get Wrong
    tyson117_Eros HoaglandGetty Images_UScollege Eros Hoagland/Getty Images

    What Critics of American Higher Education Get Wrong

    Mar 19, 2024 Laura Tyson & Lenny Mendonca show that a college degree is still a wise investment and a key driver of economic mobility in America.

  5. For Nigeria’s Schools, Safety Must Come First
    brown106_KOLA SULAIMONAFP via Getty Images_nigeriaschool Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images

    For Nigeria’s Schools, Safety Must Come First

    Mar 15, 2024 Gordon Brown writes that the latest mass abduction of students underscores the dilemma facing parents throughout the country.

  6. A New Engine for Human Learning and Growth
    rajagopalan1 Getty Images

    A New Engine for Human Learning and Growth

    Mar 11, 2024 Shruti Rajagopalan explains what AI could do for India and many other countries in the Global South.

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