Uri Regev, a teacher and friend of mine, passed away on April 22 in Israel at the age of 80. Uri grew up in Kibbutz Yagur in Israel, studied economics at Hebrew University and came to Berkeley, where he got his Ph.D. in agricultural economics in 1968. He spent most of his career at Ben […]
Uri Regev: an unsung hero of resource economics Read More »
Every year during graduation season, I encounter many students who are nervous about the job market. Surprisingly, many worry not only about their technical qualifications, but that they don’t look the part. Some of these students probably listen to the media and studies that have found that good-looking men are considered more competent and good-looking
The Fenigstein Effect Read More »
Recently I was interviewed for an article published in California Magazine. It is a well-written article about the controversy surrounding genetically modified organisms (GMOs). I made my usual points: GMOs have actually done much good by reducing commodity prices, increasing yields, saving land and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving the health of farm workers.
Were you paid by Monsanto? Read More »
Slovenia is a small Slavic nation in the middle of Europe, between Latin and Germanic countries (Italy and Austria), and is an embodiment of all three. It has been under Austrian rule for 1000 years, and was freed by Napoleon, who is considered a hero (they have a nice statue of him there). I went
Economics in the land of lakes, caves, and castles Read More »
I grew up in a religious family but I am not particularly religious. I believe that there is (are) some Supreme Being(s) above us, but I consider the religious narrative and beliefs of organized religion to be fiction; albeit fiction with many useful lessons, but nevertheless, fiction. One of my favorite religious stories is of
God helps those who help themselves Read More »
Last Friday we celebrated the graduation ceremony of the 13th year of the Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program [ELP], a three week summer program that targets up-and-coming environmental professionals. The ELP has 502 alumni from 102 countries, and the geographic composition of the participants changes over time. This year we had 38 participants, twenty from Africa
Nurturing environmental leaders: The Beahrs ELP Read More »
I enjoy getting calls from my children on Father’s day. I actually get upset if I don’t hearfrom them on my birthday (or least a post on my Facebook wall). We didn’t have Father’sday when I was growing up and I don’t remember celebrating my own Father’s birthday.No doubt that he was born, but I
Happy Father’s Day, Dad Read More »
Recently I learned one of my dear colleagues, Bob Evenson from Yale University, passed away. Bob grew up on a farm in the Minnesota and got his PhD at the University of Chicago. He became a leading development economist, and taught for more than 30 years mostly at Yale. My early impressions, as a student
Bob Evenson: An economist with heart Read More »
Our new program, the Master of Development Practice, emphasizes ‘sustainability’ — but what exactly is it? Last week, we hosted a panel of 5 faculty experts to address this question. It was agreed that sustainability means that all humans are able to maintain a decent standard of living, akin to say, Costa Rica (neither Switzerland
Is ‘sustainable’ attainable? Read More »
In 2009 UC Berkeley received a grant from the Macarthur Foundation to establish a professional Master degree in development practice (MDP) and after overcoming all of the bureaucratic hurdles, the first cohort joined campus this fall. The MDP is, in essence, an MBA in sustainable development. It includes classes in development and resource economics, project
‘Vision’ for development practice education Read More »