Program · Summer 2026

Two cities, ten days.

The 2026 Growth Academy opens in Chicago, July 27 to 31, at the University of Chicago's Saieh Hall, then moves to the World Bank in Washington, August 3 to 5.

Part I

Chicago

July 27–31

Saieh Hall for Economics

Part II

Washington, D.C.

August 3–5

1818 H Street NW

Session summaries

What was said, day by day.

Summaries of the lectures and sessions, written up day by day. Each one links to the original document.

Mon, Jul 27Creative destruction, the middle-income trap, and what makes firms grow.Week 1, Day 1 · 4 sessions
Tue, Jul 28Where innovation comes from, why fertility is falling, and what actually scales.Week 1, Day 2 · 4 sessions
Wed, Jul 29Where capital goes, what governments can do, and why place matters.Week 1, Day 3 · 4 sessions

Agenda

Every session, both cities.

Open the agenda PDF

Part I · Chicago

July 27–31, 2026

Saieh Hall, Room 146

5757 S. University Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637

All times are listed in Central Daylight Time (CDT)

Monday, July 27

8:00 – 9:00 am
Breakfast / check-in
9:00 – 9:05 am
Opening Remarks
- Ufuk Akcigit
- Somik Lall
9:05 – 10:30 am
The Middle-Income Trap
- Somik Lall
10:30 – 11:00 am
Break
11:00 – 12:30 pm
The Economics of Creative Destruction
- Philippe Aghion
12:30 – 1:30 pm
Group photo / lunch
1:30 – 3:00 pm
The Economics of Dynamism: Firm Productivity, Entrepreneurship, and Industrial Policy
- Ufuk Akcigit
3:00 – 3:30 pm
Break
3:30 – 4:30 pm
Growth Academy Highlights & Participant Presentations
4:30 – 5:30 pm
Break
5:30 pm
Shuttle Pick Up Outside of the Study Hotel
6:00 – 9:00 pm
Welcome Reception (invitation only)

Tuesday, July 28

8:00 – 9:00 am
Breakfast
9:00 – 10:30 am
A Conversation with Samir Mayekar “Building Startup Ecosystems in Developing Countries”
10:30 – 11:00 am
Break
11:00 – 12:30 pm
Fertility Decline and Economic Policy
- James Heckman
12:30 – 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 – 3:00 pm
Actionable Evidence, Scalable Ideas: What Every Policymaker Should Ask
- John List
3:00 – 3:30 pm
Break
3:30 – 4:30 pm
Participant Presentations
4:30 – 5:30 pm
Break
5:30 pm
Campus Tour of University of Chicago Optional
Meet on the front steps of Saieh Hall

Wednesday, July 29

8:00 – 9:00 am
Breakfast
9:00 – 10:30 am
The Globalization of Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital
- Emanuele Colonnelli
10:30 – 11:00 am
Break
11:00 – 12:30 pm
Growing Entrepreneurial and Innovation Clusters
- Josh Lerner
12:30 – 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 – 3:00 pm
Spatial Creative Destruction and Regional Development
- Leonard Wantchekon
3:00 – 3:30 pm
Break
3:30 – 4:30 pm
Participant Presentations
4:30 – 6:00 pm
Break
6:00 – 6:15 pm
Shuttle Pick Up at The Study Hotel
7:00 – 10:00 pm
Conference Dinner (invitation only)

Thursday, July 30

8:00 – 9:00 am
Breakfast
9:00 – 10:30 am
AI and Economic Growth
- Ben Jones
10:30 – 11:00 am
Break
11:00 – 12:30 pm
A Master Class on Business Dynamism
- Ufuk Akcigit
- Furkan Kilic
12:30 – 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 – 3:00 pm
Skipping the Factory: Service-Led Growth and Structural Transformation in the Developing World
- Fabrizio Zilibotti
3:00 – 3:30 pm
Break
3:30 – 4:00 pm
Learning From Asia: Japan
- Takaaki Nomoto
4:00 – 5:00 pm
Participant Presentations
5:30 pm
Art Institute Chicago Museum Passes Optional
Tickets are available for interested parties.

Friday, July 31

8:00 – 9:00 am
Breakfast
9:00 – 10:30 am
The Paradox of Innovation Institutions: Designing Flexible Ecosystems that Accelerate Discovery, Invention, and Growth
- James Evans
10:30 – 11:00 am
Break
11:00 – 12:30 pm
AI for Development: The Case of Digital Agriculture
- Michael Kremer
12:30 – 1:45 pm
Lunch (SHFE 112)
1:45 – 2:00 pm
Sign poster / Transition back to Room 146
2:00 – 3:00 pm
Growth Academy Highlights & Round Table Collaboration
3:00 – 3:30 pm
Break
3:30 – 4:30 pm
Wrap Up Session
5:30 pm
Gershwin’s ‘An American in Paris’ Concert in Grant Park Optional

Part II · Washington, D.C.

August 3–5, 2026

Room MC13-121

1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC

All times are listed in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

Monday, August 3

8:00 – 9:00 am
Breakfast
9:00 – 10:30 am
Global Economic Update
- Indermit Gill
- Ayhan Kose
10:30 – 11:00 am
Break
11:00 – 12:30 pm
Industrial Policy for Development: A Global Overview
- Tristan Reed
12:30 – 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 – 3:00 pm
Industrial Policy in the Digital Age: Lessons from Asia
- 1:30 – 2:00 pmSiddharth Sharma
- 2:00 – 2:30 pmAlessandro Barattieri
- 2:30 – 3:00 pmQ&A
3:00 – 3:30 pm
Break
3:30 – 4:30 pm
Participant Presentations

Tuesday, August 4

8:00 – 9:00 am
Breakfast
9:00 – 10:30 am
Industrial Policy in the Middle East and Africa: Challenges of Conflict and Structural Transformation
- 9:00 – 9:30 amCaglar Ozden
- 9:30 – 10:00 amAndrew Dabalen
- 10:00 – 10:30 amQ&A
10:30 – 11:00 am
Break
11:00 – 12:30 pm
Revisiting Industrial Policy in ECA and LAC: Strategic Options for Today
- 11:00 – 11:30 amIvailo Izvorski
- 11:30 am – 12:00 pmWilliam F. Maloney
- 12:00 – 12:30 pmQ&A
12:30 – 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 – 3:00 pm
Participant Presentations

Wednesday, August 5

7:30 – 8:30 am
Breakfast
8:30 – 9:00 am
Certificate Award Ceremony
9:00 – 10:00 am
Official Launch of the World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence
- Indermit Gill
- Gaurav Nayyar
10:00 – 10:15 am
Break
10:15 – 10:45 am
How Ready Are We for AI: New Insights from the BReady4AI Index
- Ufuk Akcigit