Gedeon Lim

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, I study the deep determinants of development with a focus on local elites and ethnic diversity.

Methodologically, I use historical natural experiments, mixed methods surveys, archival work, and field experiments.

Recent projects study the effects of:  

• forced displacement and political development in Southeast Asia [new draft!]

• historical immigration of minorities and development in Indonesia [new draft!]

• targeted killings on education and economic development in South Korea

• the Green Revolution on culture [conditionally accepted]

Projects I am actively exploring:

• the effects of a change in lingua franca in schools on national identity and networks [fully-funded, surveys in preparation] 

Contact: gedeonl[at]hku.hk

CV here

Upcoming presentations:  RFI Berlin '26*, Migration & Development (Paris '25)*, Growth & Institutions (Chicago & Tsinghua '25)*, SCOPE '25 (USydney)*, Berlin UEA March '25*, Bristol Applied Micro Workshop April '25*, RIDGE-LACEA Summer 25*

*co-author presentations