Jie Bai

Welcome to my webpage! 

I am an Associate Professor (without tenure) in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School.  My research focuses on firms and markets in developing countries and emerging economies, addressing two broad questions: First, what are the key barriers and constraints that hinder firm growth and upgrading in developing countries? Second, understanding these, how can we then structure effective policies to alleviate firm-level constraints and market frictions to facilitate private sector development? Methodologically, I combine large-scale randomized control trials, quasi-experimental applied micro techniques, and structural modeling tools from industrial organization and international trade. I also like to ground my empirical research in microeconomic theory to shed light on how firms make decision, and how markets are organized to generate incentives and allocate resources. 

I have conducted research in China, East Africa and Southeast Asia, where I have collaborated with governments and non-government organizations to design, implement and evaluate industrial, trade and development policies. 

I received my Ph.D. in Economics from MIT in June 2016, and spent one year at Microsoft Research New England prior to joining HKS in 2017. 

Curriculum Vitae

Google Scholar Profile

China and the Global Economy [An initiative that supports research and policy dialogue on China and the global economy]

China Econ Lab  [A platform that facilitates high quality research on China]