Kaushik Basu

Kaushik Basu is a nonresident senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program. He is a professor of economics and Carl Marks professor of international studies at Cornell University and previously served as chief economist of the World Bank, chief economic adviser to the Indian government, and president of the International Economic Association. Basu’s research interests span development economics, welfare economics, game theory, and industrial organization. As a policymaker, he was engaged in macro fiscal policymaking, multilateral policy coordination, and development policy work across several continents.

Basu was a professor at the Delhi School of Economics, where in 1992 he founded the Centre for Development Economics and served as its first executive director. He is also a founding member of the Madras School of Economics. He was the fourth president of the Human Development and Capabilities Association. He has held advisory posts with the ILO and the Reserve Bank of India, and was a member of the steering committee of the Expert Group of Development Issues set up by the Swedish government. He has also served as member of the board of directors of the Export-Import Bank of India.

Basu is the author of “An Economist in the Real World” and “The Republic of Beliefs,” among other books. He is a contributor to Project Syndicate and Mint, and has contributed popular articles to magazines and newspapers, such as The New York Times, Scientific American, India Today, and Business Standard. He also wrote a regular column for BBC News Online and has appeared on various television programs including CNN (USA), NDTV and CNBC (India), and BBC.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University; a Master of Science in economics from the London School of Economics; a doctoral degree in economics from the London School of Economics; and several honorary degrees.