iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

We dedicate this paper to Dr. Kawango Agot, our longtime collaborator, who passed away in August 2024. She helped design the study, secure its funding, and oversee its implementation.

110

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

This was a large team effort led by @hthirumurthy.bsky.social, with Elizabeth Bair, Teniola Egbe, Benard Ayieko, Julius Wesonga, Sue Napierala, Connie Celum, Mary Putt, Carol Camlin, and Mark Ayallo.

110

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Why it matters: most programs to reduce transactional sex focus on young women. Few address men's demand, and evidence on reducing heavy drinking among men in Africa is thin. Making saving more attractive moved both, and left the men with more savings and assets.

120

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

One caution. New HIV/STI infections were 8% lower in the savings group, but that difference is not statistically significant. Behavior shifted. We can't yet claim an effect on infections.

100

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Health behaviors changed too: • Hazardous drinking down 26% • Sexual partners and transactional sex encounters down 8–15% • Intimate partner violence down 13% (experienced) and 15% (perpetrated)

111

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Over 24 months: total savings up 31%, formal bank savings up 171%, assets (durables, livestock, vehicles) up 12%. The money came from lower spending on alcohol, transactional sex, and gambling. Food and other household spending did not change.

110

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The program had three parts: • Setting concrete savings goals • A bank account with lottery prizes: the more you save, the more tickets you get • Monthly text reminders The lottery was deliberate. It points a taste for risk toward saving instead of spending.

100

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The men were 18–39, with steady income, in Siaya County. All reported recent alcohol use and transactional sex. At baseline, alcohol, gambling, and transactional sex absorbed about 50% of their monthly income. Fewer than 1 in 4 had a formal savings account.

110

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Can a savings account reduce heavy drinking? In a randomized trial with 1,500 men in western Kenya, a savings program cut hazardous drinking by 26% and intimate partner violence by 15%. New NBER working paper 🧵

1195

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Join us for the first @ideadevecon.bsky.social events in our Career Development series! These two panels will demystify the econ PhD admissions process... Featuring Jess Goldberg, @mushfiq-econ.bsky.social, Alex Armand, Sanjay Jain, Tarun Jain, @jordanloper.bsky.social, and me.

041

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Join us for the next @ideadevecon.bsky.social Research Seminar, with Muhammad Chatib "Dede" Basri, former Indonesian Minister of Finance. I'll be moderating the session, Mon Sep 21, 9-10:15 am US eastern. Register in link below, and watch his keynote talk in advance!

001

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

The @lahoreschool.bsky.social really put on an amazing conference... I'm looking forward to maintaining the connections with the academics I met there!

020

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

These virtual Ph.D. courses offered by @ideadevecon.bsky.social partners BREAD and @theigc.bsky.social are an amazing resource for the global development economics community... I'm very much looking forward to this fall's Political Economy course! All welcome and strongly encouraged to register...

094

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Excited about @ideadevecon.bsky.social’s first Philippine in-person meetup, at UP School of Economics, Diliman, Metro Manila. Tomorrow Mon, 3-5 pm. Co-hosted with @jcpunongbayan.bsky.social! Come share your insights on what IDEA should be and do! Register on our home page: idea.devecon.org

idea.devecon.org

International Development Economics Association

IDEA is a global professional association advancing inclusive, rigorous research in development economics.

021

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Very much looking forward to the @ideadevecon.bsky.social first in-person meetup, at LUMS here in Lahore, Pakistan. Tomorrow Thu, 12:30-2 pm over lunch. Co-hosted with @farahsaid.bsky.social, IDEA Asia Rep! Link to register is on our home page: idea.devecon.org

idea.devecon.org

International Development Economics Association

IDEA is a global professional association advancing inclusive, rigorous research in development economics.

001

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Hello @ideadevecon.bsky.social community! We'd like to hear from you about what IDEA should be! How can we help you in your work? How can we promote development economics research around the world? Join us for one of three regional listening sessions, Aug 4, 6, or 11. Cheers!

030

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Join us for the first @ideadevecon.bsky.social online activities! Our first Research Seminar, featuring Dilip Mookherjee (Boston U.) on Aug 5. And our regional listening sessions on Aug 4, 6, or 11. To register, go to our website or see the link in the first reply below. See you soon!

020

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

If you're a development economist, join @ideadevecon.bsky.social! In particular, students and early-career scholars. Share this with anyone you know who should be part of the community!👇

011

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

This why @ideadevecon.bsky.social matters… We put scholars in the Global South at the center of what we do! If you know development economists who haven’t signed up yet, encourage them to join…

020

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Proud of the community taking shape at @ideadevecon.bsky.social — 3,700+ development economists from 134 countries in only 3 weeks! 🌍

081

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Proud of this! And grateful to @owenozier.bsky.social for making the case on the @cgdev.org blog. Two days in, we are actually at 2,671 scholars across 126 countries! Clearly, development economics is ready for a global home of its own... We are happy to be that home at @ideadevecon.bsky.social !

011

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Thank you Marc for helping spread the word! I very much hope we can work together for the global dev econ profession! Please join us!

000

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Credit where it's due — should've tagged him the first time: this is by @owenozier.bsky.social, IDEA Board member and North America representative. Give him a follow! 👏

010

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

@owenozier.bsky.social, IDEA North America Rep., captured the IDEA Board in one video... Representing all six world regions. This is what we mean by a global community. Really excited to be working with Owen on the Board! Watch, then join us: idea.devecon.org 🌍

idea.devecon.org

International Development Economics Association

IDEA is a global professional association advancing inclusive, rigorous research in development economics.

010

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Thank you, Owen! 🌍 The whole Board in one place — this is IDEA! You deserve particular credit as the brains and effort behind this video montage...

010

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Meet the people building IDEA! Our elected Board spans six continents... development economists giving the field its first global, open professional home. This is what a global community looks like! Join us: idea.devecon.org @ideadevecon.bsky.social

193

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

IDEA's regional reps are coming online — and Oceania is in great hands. Ashani Amarasinghe @ashani.bsky.social brings the energy and the vision. Development economists anywhere in the world, this is your invitation: idea.devecon.org 🌏

idea.devecon.org

International Development Economics Association

IDEA is a global professional association advancing inclusive, rigorous research in development economics.

021

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

So glad to have you leading the IDEA charge for Oceania, Ashani! Really looking forward to working with you for the next couple of years... 🌏

110

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Why do development economists finally need an association of their own? IDEA Board member Owen Ozier makes the case for @ideadevecon.bsky.social on the World Bank's Development Impact blog — development's most-read blog. Read it, then join us! blogs.worldbank.org/en/impacteva...

blogs.worldbank.org

Introducing IDEA – the International Development Economics Association

1136

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

A real vote of confidence: @cega-uc.bsky.social is backing IDEA. Their CIDR work, elevating scholars in low- and middle-income countries, is exactly the mission IDEA exists to serve. This is what the field looks like when we build things together! 🌍

010

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Thank you, @cega-uc.bsky.social ... CEGA's leadership on inclusive development research is a model for what IDEA wants to enable. Excited for what's ahead together!

010

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

"A long time coming" — exactly, @farahsaid.bsky.social 🌍 Thrilled to have you helping build it. South Asia's voice is central to what IDEA is about. Join us indeed!

000

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

"A long time coming." @farahsaid.bsky.social nails it 🌍 The first global, open, democratically governed home for development economists... and South Asia's voice is central to it. Proud to have her helping lead. Join us: idea.devecon.org

idea.devecon.org

International Development Economics Association

IDEA is a global professional association advancing inclusive, rigorous research in development economics.

000

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

When @willafriedman says "come join," listen 🌍 She's helping lead career development at IDEA... a global, open community for development economists at every stage. idea.devecon.org

idea.devecon.org

International Development Economics Association

IDEA is a global professional association advancing inclusive, rigorous research in development economics.

041

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

@ebeam.bsky.social gets right to the heart of it: IDEA is for everyone in development economics... researchers, practitioners, students, every career stage, every country. 🌍 Proud to have her helping lead it. Join us at idea.devecon.org

idea.devecon.org

International Development Economics Association

IDEA is a global professional association advancing inclusive, rigorous research in development economics.

000

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Thank you Angelino for helping get IDEA started on the Founding Board! Looking forward to working together with you for the development econ profession!

000

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Thank you Andreas! Very glad that we'll be working together in IDEA for the global development econ community!

010

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Thank you Miri! Very glad to have you part of IDEA... Looking forward to working together for the profession!

010

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Development economics finally has a global professional home. Today we launch @ideadevecon.bsky.social ... Open to every development economist, everywhere. Join the community: idea.devecon.org Please share 🌍

16927

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

So proud of what this community has built together. IDEA is open to all development economists! Sign up at idea.devecon.org and share with your network, especially early-career and Global South colleagues 🙌

idea.devecon.org

International Development Economics Association

IDEA is a global professional association advancing inclusive, rigorous research in development economics.

010

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Thank you for being part of IDEA, Daniel! Really looking forward to working together for the profession!

010

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

So proud of what this community has built together. IDEA is open to all development economists, everywhere... sign up at idea.devecon.org and please share with your network, especially early-career and Global South colleagues 🙌

idea.devecon.org

International Development Economics Association

IDEA is a global professional association advancing inclusive, rigorous research in development economics.

020

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Here is a photo of his dissertation defense! Other committee members were @ashcraig.bsky.social, Jim Hines, and Damian Vergara.

010

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Congratulations to Thomas Lloyd @thomaslloyd.bsky.social on his @umich.edu PhD! Thomas will be an assistant professor at Emlyon Business School! Very proud to have been his committee chair... Check out his exciting work: thomaslloyd.me

thomaslloyd.bsky.social

Thomas Lloyd (@thomaslloyd.bsky.social)

PhD student in Economics at the University of Michigan. Interested in Development and Public Economics.

120

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Submit your development economics papers to the BREAD Mexico conference! Submission deadline is Jun 19. Conference is Oct 23-24 at ITAM in Mexico City. bread-mexico-2026.github.io

bread-mexico-2026.github.io

BREAD Mexico 2026 — Conference on Development Economics

ITAM, Mexico City · October 23–24, 2026. Submission deadline: June 19, 2026.

077

Dean Yang @deanyang.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Thrilled to see this out. Credit to @tomanbarsbai.com who led the charge. The dictator-game mechanism check is the part I'd flag for skeptics -- it's the family photo, not the gift, doing the work. Final published version: deanyang-econ.github.io/deanyang/fil...

deanyang-econ.github.io

1101