From April 2025, my latest website can be accessed here
Welcome to my website! I'm an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Hong Kong. I received my Ph.D. from Boston University in 2020.
My research lies at the intersection of Development and Political Economy. Specifically, much of my work studies the deep determinants of development with a focus on local elites, ethnic diversity, and immigration.
Methodologically, I use historical natural experiments, mixed methods surveys, archival work, and field experiments.
Recent projects study:
the effects of interethnic proximity on political development in Southeast Asia
the effects of interethnic proximity on political and economic competition [fully-funded, in the field]
the effects of historical immigration on development and structural transformation in Indonesia
the effects of war-time killings on development and structural transformation in South Korea
the effects of technological change on culture
Projects I am actively exploring:
the effects of a change in lingua franca in schools on linguistic choice, national identity, and social networks [fully-funded, surveys in preparation]
the effects of foreign aid on local economic development
Contact: gedeonl[at]hku.hk
CV here
Upcoming presentations: Berlin UEA March '25*, Bristol Applied Micro Workshop April '25*, RIDGE-LACEA Summer 25*
*co-author presentations