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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Gary S. Becker? I've been reviewing his work on marriage theory, Parts I and II.

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Todd Pugatch @toddpugatch.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

The @aefpweb.bsky.social EdDev group meets this F Apr 10, 11am US eastern. Presenters: @wsandholtz.bsky.social (NOVA): Information & the Politics of School Quality @adautheville.bsky.social (NHH): Private & Social Returns to Public University Scholarships Contact me for Zoom link. #econsky #edusky

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Harry Anthony Patrinos @hpatrinos.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

New in Journal of Population Economics w/ @rnajamr + Raja Kattan: Education pays—even more for women in Afghanistan. Each year of schooling raises income by 3–7%, but bans on women’s education/work turn gains into large economic losses. Human capital denial = national loss. shorturl.at/HW0uK

shorturl.at

The mis-education of women in Afghanistan: from wage premiums to economic losses

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Paul Bruno @paul-bruno.com · 25/03/2026

Impacts of the Four‐Day School Week on Juvenile Crime onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... "decision-makers should be cognizant of the potential increase in juvenile crime that may result from the four-day school week"

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Impacts of the Four‐Day School Week on Juvenile Crime

Schools are increasingly adopting four-day school weeks to address financial, attendance, and teacher retention issues, a trend that the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified. However, little is known abou...

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

scales in public employment - The costs of the ban on women's education are immense: lost opportunity, forgone income, reduced productivity, and long-term erosion of human capital Joint work with great colleagues @hpatrinos.bsky.social + Raja Bentaouet Kattan

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Key findings: - Each additional year of schooling increases earnings by 3–7%, with higher returns for women - Returns are present in both the broader labor market and among public sector employees, though the gender gap is larger in the labor market, likely due to the structured pay

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

This week marks the beginning of a new academic year across much of Afghanistan and four years since the ban on women's education and employment. Our work on returns to schooling and the economic costs of this ban is now out in the Journal of Population Economics. 📄 doi.org/10.1007/s001...

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Harry Anthony Patrinos @hpatrinos.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Read my latest #research on women's education in Afghanistan, published with @SpringerNature in JOPE nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=https%3A...

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Harry Anthony Patrinos @hpatrinos.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Four-day school weeks may ease budgets and staffing—but new evidence shows they can increase juvenile property & violent crime, esp in larger, non-rural areas, underscoring real trade-offs for policymakers. New article by @rnajam.bsky.social + Thompson in JPAM onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

As more districts adopt this model to address budget pressures, teacher shortages, and attendance challenges, policymakers should weigh these unintended consequences carefully.

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

- Drug- and alcohol-related crimes during school hours decline—suggesting a shift from public spaces to private residences on the day off - Effects spill over beyond the extra day off—we observe changes on remaining weekdays and weekends too

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

spreading rapidly across the US in recent years. Key findings: - Four-day school weeks are associated with significant increases in juvenile property and violent crime, concentrated in non-rural and large agency settings

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

New paper out today in @jpam-dc.bsky.social with Paul Thompson—this one started as a chapter of my PhD dissertation and it's great to see it out! We examine what happens to juvenile crime when schools switch to a four-day school week using agency-level data from six states—a policy that has been

doi.org

Impacts of the Four‐Day School Week on Juvenile Crime

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AEFP @aefpweb.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

The EdDev Community Group will meet on December 12 at 11 AM ET. Alejandro Ganimian will present work in progress. Join the EdDev Community Group today aefpweb.org/communit...

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

5. Anushka Mullick (Binghamton Univerity) - Maternal Working Hours and Children’s Cognitive Outcomes in India: Evidence from Bunching Designs 6. Shailee Manandhar (Rutgers University) - The impact of the 2015 earthquake on internal and international migration in Nepal

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

3. Tahmeed Hossain (Southern Methodist University) - Historical Religious Conflict and the Persistence of Communal Divisions: Evidence from Temple Destruction in Medieval 4. Matthew McKetty (University of Wisconsin – Madison) - Sun, Sand, and Services: Tourism and Household Welfare in Jamaica

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

2. Jesugnon Ezechias DJIMA (University of Huston) - Rethinking Intergenerational Mobility: Evidence from West Africa Beyond the Co-Residence Sample Bias

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

This panel includes an impressive set of research presentations on development topic: 1. Tewodros G. Gutema (Howard University) - Conflict, Climate Shocks, and Food Insecurity: Evidence from a Dynamic Event Study Analysis

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

Join the Global Labor Organization 2025 Job Market Sessions (North America) this Friday, Dec 5! The sessions kick off at 1:00 PM EST. Register here: glabor.org/program-deta... I will chair a session at 3:30 PM EST.

glabor.org

PROGRAM - Details GLO-Bonn-2025

GLO JOPE Bonn 2025 PROGRAM - DRAFT November 28, 2025; 11:00 am, CET Berlin Preliminary. Currently, ALL relevant program info is available here. Closer to th

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

environmental policy, international development, or poverty—or its intersections—consider applying! I would be very happy to answer questions and chat about the department, the school, and the community.

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

Come work with us in Chapel Hill! UNC–Chapel Hill Public Policy is a vibrant community of scholars and an excellent place for interdisciplinary research with a strong focus on policy-relevant work. If you are on the academic job market and your research focuses on

unc.peopleadmin.com

Assistant Professor

This position is located in the Department of Public Policy within the College of Arts and Sciences. This tenure-track position includes 40% teaching, 40% research, and 20% service to the department. ...

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

Exciting news. We are hiring a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Public Policy. Focus areas: environmental policy, international development, or poverty. Link: unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307... Submission Deadline: November 3, 2025. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.

unc.peopleadmin.com

Assistant Professor

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Todd Pugatch @toddpugatch.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

Econ instructors: considering running an RCT but unsure where to start? My new working paper (w/ @lizschroeder.bsky.social) can guide you. We walk you through all the steps to run an RCT: design, setup, implementation & analysis, w/ many examples along the way. 1/2 papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

papers.ssrn.com

Using Rcts in Economic Education Research

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have become an essential tool for economists. The credibility revolution in empirical economics emphasizes research designs

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NBER @nber.org · 05/05/2025

How different researcher decisions, data cleaning, research design, and interpretations of a policy question, affect variation in estimated treatment effects, from Huntington-Klein, Portner, McCarthy, and The Many Economists Collaborative on Researcher Variation www.nber.org/papers/w33729

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

Check out a short summary of our article on @voxdev.bsky.social, where we examine how exposure to conflict impacts children in the long run. w/ @girayaslim @erdaltekin.bsky.social

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

Thank you, Erdal, for the kind words. It’s been an invaluable experience working with you-I look forward to many more collaborations!

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

Thank you, Todd, for your invaluable advising and support.

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

Grateful for your guidance and mentorship, Dave!

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

, mentors, co-authors, colleagues, and family. Thanks to so many of you for your guidance and support—especially @hpatrinos.bsky.social, @davemarcotte.bsky.social, and @erdaltekin.bsky.social. Thrilled to start this new chapter!

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Rafiuddin (Rafi) Najam @rnajam.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

I will be joining the Department of Public Policy at the @PublicPolicyUNC @UNC this summer as an Assistant Professor of Public Policy (TT). Grateful to the many incredible people who made this possible—my advisors (@toddpugatch.bsky.social, Alison, Paul, Patrick)

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APPAM @appam.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

ICYMI: We're offering Travel Grants for APPAM members who will be presenting at the Annual Fall Research Conference this year in Seattle. Learn more about this opportunity and how to apply: ow.ly/8TYt50Vzfq8

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NBER @nber.org · 01/02/2025

In utero exposure to war violence in Afghanistan significantly reduces cognitive and educational outcomes for girls, highlighting gender-specific disparities caused by conflict, from Erkmen G. Aslim, Rafiuddin Najam, and Erdal Tekin www.nber.org/papers/w33398

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