Dates
Thu–Fri, Sep 10–11, 2026
Venue
Nine Tree Premier ROKAUS, Yongsan
Format
Fully in-person
Contact
About the conference
KDI School of Public Policy and Management and World Bank's Development Impact Group (DECDI) are pleased to host the 7th Development Impact Conference in Seoul, Korea. The conference brings together researchers presenting rigorous impact evaluation work across the full range of development topics.
The call for papers closed on June 21, 2026.
Registration
Registration closed on Monday, August 31, 2026. On-site registration will not be available on the day of the event.
Seating is limited, and participation status is confirmed separately by the organizing team. The conference is conducted in English, and Korean interpretation is not provided.
Keynote speaker
Johannes Haushofer
Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, Cornell University
His research spans development and behavioral economics. He is the founder of Busara, a non-profit advancing behavioral science for poverty alleviation, and Malengo, an organization facilitating international migration. He holds a BA from Oxford, a PhD in Neurobiology from Harvard, and a PhD in Economics from Zurich.
Agenda
Day 1 · Thursday, September 10
Moderator: David Sungho Park
08:30–09:00Registration
09:00–09:10Welcoming remarks · Joon-Kyung Kim, Dean, KDI School
09:10–09:40Opening remarks · Arianna Legovini, Director, World Bank DECDI
09:40–09:45Group photo
09:45–10:00Coffee break
10:00–11:00Gender, Inequality & Social Inclusion · Panel 1Chair: Trinh Pham (KDIS)Girija Borker (DECDI)Assessing Whether Policies Scale: A Randomized Method Applied to Delhi’s Free Bus SchemeDongil Lee (KDIS)Foreign Aid Cuts, Fertility, and Women’s Labor Supply: Evidence from the Mexico City PolicyHisaki Kono (Kyoto)At the Right Time: Eliminating Mismatch between Cash and Credit Flows in Microcredit
11:00–11:10Break
11:10–12:10Education & Human Capital · Panel 2Chair: Dongil Lee (KDIS)Carlos Alfredo Schmidt Padilla (UC Berkeley)Turning Information into Action: Bridging the Policy–Practice Gap through a Low-Cost School-Level InterventionUyanga Byambaa (UC Berkeley)Cognitive Enrichment and Human Capital Formation: Experimental Evidence from Developing CountriesBenedetta Lerva (DECDI)Impacts of School Feeding on Children: Evidence from Four Countries
12:10–13:30Lunch
13:30–14:10Keynote — Johannes Haushofer · Cornell University
14:10–14:30Coffee break
14:30–15:30Lightning session · Graduate-student presentationsChair: Sam Seo (World Bank)Jasmin Baier (Oxford)Can AI Career Guidance Substitute for Human Counselors? Information, Persuasion, and Match Quality in a Kenyan Youth Labor MarketWeijian Zou (LSE)Disruptive Power: The Spatial Diffusion of Distributed Solar in South AfricaHyunju Jeong (UC Davis)Bundling Industrial Policy with Education: Evidence from Korea’s Heavy and Chemical Industry DrivePiyush Gandhi (UC Santa Cruz)Extinguishing the Blaze: Impact of Crop Residue Management on Stubble Burning in IndiaBendi Devi (NUS)Services In, Profits Out! Does Tax Treaty Reform in Technical Services Reduce Profit Shifting? Evidence from Transaction-Level Tax DataSaqib Hussain (KDIS)Role of (Mis)Information in Sectarian Conflict: A Social Media Experiment
15:30–15:50Coffee break
15:50–16:50Climate, Agriculture & Environment · Panel 3Chair: Chungeun Yoon (KDIS)Raghav Raghunathan (Wageningen)Expanding the Planning Horizon: Behavioral Training and the Adoption of Drought-Tolerant Maize and Index Insurance in TanzaniaDavid Sungho Park (KDIS)Compounded Climate Shocks and Food Security: Evidence from Back-to-Back Cyclones in MadagascarTrinh Pham (KDIS)The Environmental Cost of Place-Based Industrial Policy: Evidence from Industrial Zones in Vietnam
16:50End of Day 1
Day 2 · Friday, September 11
Moderator: Dongil Lee
08:40–09:00Registration
09:00–10:00Migration & Remittances · Panel 4Chair: David Sungho Park (KDIS)Nico Wicker (Academia Sinica)Vocational Training to Improve Labor Market Integration of Young RefugeesDaliah Al-Shakhshir (Stanford)Development Effects of Social Eligibility Criteria for Temporary MigrationSaravana Ravindran (NUS)Remitting against Poverty
10:00–10:20Coffee break
10:20–11:20Labor Markets & Work · Panel 5Chair: Minji Kwak (KDIS)Jinseong Park (KDIS)In and Out: How Do Food Delivery Riders WorkArlen Guarin (DECDI)The Early-Career Effects of Anxiety and DepressionRajdev Kaur Brar (UC Berkeley)Household-Level Impacts of Strengthening Women’s Financial Control: Evidence from Côte d’Ivoire
11:20–12:40Lunch
12:40–13:40Governance, Conflict & Political Economy · Panel 6Chair: Benedetta Lerva (World Bank)Chungeun Yoon (KDIS)Terrorism and Voting: Evidence from the Death of Osama bin LadenMinji Kwak (KDIS)Social Incentives of Non-Elected Leaders in Village EconomiesCarolina Lopez (DECRG)Not Faster, but Better: Generative AI and Teacher Skill in Peru
13:40–14:00Coffee break
14:00–15:00Social Protection & Poverty · Panel 7Chair: Jinseong Park (KDIS)Mahreen Mahmud (Exeter)“We’re All in This Together”: Experimental Evidence from a Universal Livelihoods ProgramDahyeon Jeong (DECDI)Designing Social Protection: Evidence from Cash, Public Works, and Economic Inclusion in TanzaniaAmol Singh Raswan (UC Berkeley)The Sisyphean Pursuit of Evidence for Poverty Traps
15:00End of event
Logistics & venue
Venue
Nine Tree Premier ROKAUS Hotel Seoul Yongsan
Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Open in Google Maps ↗
Getting there
The hotel is steps from Yongsan Station (KTX, Line 1). From Incheon International Airport, take the AREX train to Seoul Station, then one stop on Line 1 to Yongsan — about 75 minutes total. Taxis from the airport take roughly an hour.
Registration
Registration closed on Monday, August 31, 2026. On-site registration will not be available, and participation status is confirmed separately by the organizing team.
Questions
For anything about the program, logistics, or presenting, get in touch with the organizing team.
ielab.kdis@gmail.com
044-550-2327
Conference committee
KDI School and World Bank DECDI
Dongil LeeAssociate Professor, KDI School
David Sungho ParkAssociate Professor, KDI School
Jinseong ParkAssistant Professor, KDI School
Trinh PhamAssistant Professor, KDI School
Chungeun YoonAssociate Professor, KDI School
Dahyeon (DJ) JeongEconomist, World Bank DECDI
Hee Kwon (Sam) SeoEconomist, World Bank DECDI