International Growth Centre

International Growth Centre
Name	International Growth Centre
Abbreviation	IGC
Formation	2008
Headquarters	London
Location	London
Leader title	Director
Parent organization	London School of Economics; University of Oxford

International Growth Centre The International Growth Centre is a research centre that provides evidence-based policy advice on economic growth in developing country contexts, linking academic research to policy through fieldwork and partnerships. It draws on expertise across University of Oxford, London School of Economics, and a network of researchers associated with institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations Development Programme, and national ministries. The centre operates in multiple regions including South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, supporting projects in countries like India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Kenya, and Brazil.

Overview

Founded to bridge scholars from University of Oxford and London School of Economics with policymakers at organizations like the World Bank Group, International Monetary Fund, United Nations, Asian Development Bank, and African Development Bank, the centre emphasizes applied research on topics such as industrial policy, urbanisation, trade policy, financial inclusion, and public finance. Its staff collaborate with researchers from institutions including Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Stanford University, Yale University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, University of California, Berkeley, University of Cambridge, University College London, New York University, Duke University, University of Michigan, University of Toronto, Tokyo University, National University of Singapore, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Australian National University, London Business School, King's College London, Oxford Policy Management, Center for Global Development, Brookings Institution, International Labour Organization, OECD, European Commission, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

History and Establishment

The centre was launched in 2008 with seed support linked to initiatives at London School of Economics and University of Oxford and with early engagement from Rachel Glennerster and other economists who had worked at Department for International Development and Centre for Economic Policy Research. Its formation reflected lessons from earlier initiatives involving Institute of Development Studies, Overseas Development Institute, International Food Policy Research Institute, Copenhagen Consensus, and collaborative projects with Chief Economist offices at bilateral agencies. Early projects included country programmes in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Ghana, building links with policy actors such as the Reserve Bank of India, State Bank of Pakistan, Federal Board of Revenue (Pakistan), Ministry of Finance (India), Election Commission of India, and provincial administrations.

Research Focus and Programmes

Research themes include industrial policy and manufacturing policy linked to work by scholars associated with Daron Acemoglu and Esther Duflo; urban research drawing on collaborations with Harvard School of Public Health and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; infrastructure studies related to projects with International Energy Agency and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; and finance research engaging Microfinance Institutions and central banks such as the Central Bank of Nigeria and Bangladesh Bank. Programmes span applied randomized controlled trials with field partners like J-PAL, natural experiment studies inspired by work at NBER, and structural modelling efforts akin to those pursued at CEPR and National Bureau of Economic Research. Country research programmes have included Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal, Zambia, Malawi, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador.

Organizational Structure and Funding

The centre's governance involves academic directors at University of Oxford and London School of Economics, a senior management team, policy outreach staff, and regional programme managers who coordinate with country offices and research leads at institutions like Oxford Policy Management and International Growth Centre Bangladesh (IGC Bangladesh). Funding sources include grants and contracts with foundations and multilateral agencies such as the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mastercard Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Gates Cambridge Trust, European Union, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and philanthropic donors. Academic partners and scholars receive research grants from organisations like Economic and Social Research Council, Leverhulme Trust, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, AMA Research Foundation.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The centre maintains partnerships with national policy bodies including Ministry of Finance (India), Ministry of Commerce (Pakistan), Kenya Revenue Authority, National Planning Commission (Nepal), and National Development and Reform Commission (China), as well as international institutions like World Trade Organization, International Finance Corporation, UNICEF, UN Women, Global Partnership for Education, GAVI, Green Climate Fund, International Fund for Agricultural Development, and Food and Agriculture Organization. Academic collaborations include project work with Centre for Economic Policy Research, Institute for Fiscal Studies, BREAD, CESifo, IZA Institute of Labor Economics, African Economic Research Consortium, Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association, South Asian University, BRAC University, University of the West Indies, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

Impact and Criticism

The centre has influenced policy decisions in ministries, central banks, and donor agencies through policy briefs, working papers, and advisory missions, contributing to reforms in taxation, urban transport, agricultural value chains, and industrial strategy in countries such as India, Pakistan, Ghana, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Critiques from scholars and commentators at The Economist, Financial Times, Guardian, New York Times, Foreign Policy, Development and Change, Journal of Development Economics, World Development Journal, and advocacy groups like Oxfam have focused on issues of research independence, implementation gaps, and alignment with donor priorities. Debates echo concerns raised in literature by figures associated with Amartya Sen, Joseph Stiglitz, Paul Krugman, Milton Friedman, Jeffrey Sachs, William Easterly, and organisations such as Transparency International regarding evidence translation, policy conditionality, and governance. Assessments by reviewers at European Commission programmes, bilateral aid evaluations by UK National Audit Office, and case studies in Harvard Kennedy School courses illustrate mixed outcomes across country programmes.

Category:Research institutes