Alem, Yonas
Yonas Alem is a Research Professor (Principal Research Officer) at the School of Economics, University of Cape Town, and Director of Capacity Building at the Environment for Development (EfD) initiative. He is also affiliated with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT.
He received his PhD in Economics from the University of Gothenburg, where he also served as an Associate Professor of Economics, Director of Research, and Academic Programs until September 2025.
Research interests
Alem’s research lies at the intersection of development, environmental, and behavioral economics, with a particular focus on risk and shocks, energy and climate, technology adoption, preference formation, and poverty dynamics in developing regions of Africa and South Asia. His empirical work primarily employs panel data econometrics and large-scale randomized controlled trials, and his findings have been published in several leading peer-reviewed international journals.
Recent Teaching & Training
Advanced Panel Data Econometrics (PhD)
Causal Inference and Impact Evaluation (PhD)
Development Economics (PhD)
Academic Writing and Research Ethics (PhD)
Development Economics (PhD)
PhD Supervision and Mentorship
Since 2012, Yonas Alem supervised PhDs dissertations of eight candidates at the Department of Economics, University of Gothenburg, and trained and mentored 20 EfD Early Career Fellows.
Research Project and Program Grants
“The Reach and Impact of CGIAR-Innovations in Nigeria – SPIA Country Study 2025 – 2028). $2.2 million – Principal Investigator, 2024.
“Information Nudges and Solar Water Heaters: A Randomized Controlled Trial on Firms” Private Development Initiatives in Low and Middle Income Countries (PEDL) and African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), $ 92,000, 2024
“Research Capacity Building Partnership in Economics Sub-Programme”, a Collaborative PhD Training Program in Economics between the University of Gothenburg & University of Rwanda (Swedish International Development Agency for Cooperation, Sida), $1.2 million - Principal Investigator, 2019.
“Partnership for University-wide Capacity Building on Ethical Research Methods and Grant Proposal Writing”, a Faculty Training Program with Addis Ababa University (Swedish International Development Agency for Cooperation, Sida), $405,000 - Principal Investigator, 2021.
“Partnership for Knowledge Creation”, a Collaborative PhD Training Program in Economics between the University of Gothenburg & Addis Ababa University (Swedish International Development Agency for Cooperation, Sida), $1.2 million - Principal Investigator, 2018.
“Liquidity Constraint, LPG Stoves, and Charcoal Consumption: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Tanzania” (International Growth Center -IGC, London School of Economics) $148,000, September 2014 and August 2016 - Principal Investigator.
