Ashu Arora

International Development Health Migration Employment Economics of AI

I work at the intersection of economics, data and public policy, using empirical research and quantitative evidence to understand questions of development, health, migration and the changing economics of technology.

Ashu Arora

Research Interests

International
Development

Inclusive growth, public policy and human development

Health

Health systems, gender, and economic outcomes

Migration

Labour markets, skills, and global mobility

Employment

Jobs, productivity, and the future of work

Economics of AI

The economic and social implications of emerging technologies

About

Research, evidence and ideas.

I am an economist and researcher with a Master's degree in International Economics and Finance from Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), where I focused on development economics, impact evaluation and quantitative research.

I currently work with World Bank Economist Limon Bade Rodriguez on multiple research projects, including work related to labour migration, skills and employment. My work involves analysing survey and administrative data, applying quantitative methods and translating empirical evidence into insights on economic and policy questions.

Previously, I worked at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, where I conducted research in economics and co-authored research published in The Journal of Development Studies.

Beyond research, I have a strong interest in communication, intellectual community-building and program development. As a Head Fellow at the International Student House in Washington, DC, I organized international dialogues and cultural and policy events and founded the Waldo Stevenson Forum.

What I'm exploring

Questions that guide my work.

01 · International Development

How do economies develop?

How should we measure whether development is actually improving people's lives?

02 · Health

How do health systems shape development?

How do access and social inequalities influence health and development outcomes?

03 · Migration

How does labour mobility change economies?

How do migration, skills and labour mobility affect workers and economies?

04 · Employment

How is work changing?

How do labour markets, skills and employment opportunities evolve as economies and technologies change?

05 · Economics of AI

What happens when AI changes work?

How will AI affect labour markets, productivity, inequality and development—and how can AI improve research?

Current direction

Economics, data and AI for better policy research.

I investigate. I work with evidence. I communicate. I build.