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Paul Collier

Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Blavatnik School of Government

About me

Sir Paul Collier is Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government (BSG). From 1998–2003 he took a five-year Public Service leave during which he was director of the Research Development Department of the World Bank. He is currently a Professeur invité at Sciences Po and a director of the International Growth Centre. His research covers the causes and consequences of civil war; the effects of aid and the problems of democracy in low-income societies that are rich in natural resources; urbanisation in low-income countries; private investment in African infrastructure and changing organisational cultures. Recent books include The Bottom Billion (Oxford University Press, 2007) which in 2008 won the Lionel Gelber, Arthur Ross and Corine prizes and in May 2009 was the joint winner of the Estoril Global Issues Distinguished Book prize; Wars, Guns and Votes: Democracy in Dangerous Places (Vintage Books, 2009); and The Plundered Planet: How to reconcile prosperity with nature (Oxford University Press, 2010). His latest book is Exodus: How migration is changing our world (Oxford University Press, 2013). In 2014, Professor Collier received a knighthood for services to promoting research and policy change in Africa.