Over the last 25 years, Latin America and the Caribbean has boosted efforts in primary education to the point that it is nearly universal, with three out of four students finishing primary school on time. But educational quality for very young children in the region still lags far behind that of developed countries. It even trails countries of similar levels of development in … [Read more...] about It’s Time to Improve Primary Education: This Is How
New Research Opportunities at the IDB for Behavioral Economists
The IDB invites researchers with a keen intellectual interest in behavioral interventions to apply for visiting positions with its recently established IDB Working Group on Behavioral Economics. As the leading multilateral institution for Latin America and the Caribbean, the IDB is looking to build on its experience helping governments use behavioral economics tools to improve … [Read more...] about New Research Opportunities at the IDB for Behavioral Economists
What Are the Antidotes to Sudden Stops?
Policymakers in emerging economies have long suffered sudden stops, those paralyzing episodes in which foreign credit dries up. Such episodes can cause painful domestic adjustments that exact significant losses in GDP. But not all sudden stops are equal, and they do not all inflict the same amount of pain. Take the case of Latin America. During the Tequila Crisis, when foreign … [Read more...] about What Are the Antidotes to Sudden Stops?
Pushing the Frontier of Solar Cells
Areas of Latin America, like Mexico and Chile, have some of the world's greatest solar potential. But a new technological development in solar cells could allow them to harness more of the sun's energy and speed the growth of solar in the region. The new solar cells are known as perovskites. They are made of a crystalline structure and can be printed on sheets of plastic or … [Read more...] about Pushing the Frontier of Solar Cells
Protecting Conditional Cash Transfers
Conditional cash transfers are powerful tools of social progress in Latin America and the Caribbean. They have reduced short-term poverty for tens of millions of people by providing a monthly stipend and have helped break the intergenerational transmission of poverty by linking financial assistance to behaviors that enhance human capital, like school attendance and health … [Read more...] about Protecting Conditional Cash Transfers