London School of Economics

School of Public Policy

CBG, Office 5.22a

London, WC2A 2AE

Email: S.Sequeira[at]lse.ac.uk

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

   Professor of Economics, School of Public Policy, London School of Economics, 2025-

   Associate Professor, London School of Economics, International Development, 2017-2025

   Assistant Professor, London School of Economics, International Development, 2010-2016

             Affiliations:   CEPR, Research Fellow (Development Economics, Political Economy)

                             STICERD, Member Steering Committee, Research Affiliate.

                                    International Growth Centre, Lead Academic for Mozambique, Research Affiliate

                                    Royal Economic Society, Fellow

 NOVAFRICA, External Member, Nova Business School

    J-PAL, Invited Researcher (IGI, DigiFI, PPE, ATAI), 2015-

  Global Labor Organization, Fellow

 Co-editor:  Economics Letters (2024-)

Associate Editor: Economics Letters (2021-2024); Portuguese Economic Journal (2021-), Economic Policy Panels (CEPR) 2024-2025

Guest Editor: Annual Review of Economics 

Co-director, Research Policy Network, CEPR: The Political Economy of Migration

VISITING APPOINTMENTS

    National Bureau of Economic Research, Visiting Scholar,  Fall 2018

    Stanford University, Visiting Scholar,  2015

          Affiliation: Center for International Development

    Harvard Kennedy School, Visiting Assistant Professor, 2013-2014

          Affiliation: Evidence for Policy Design

    New York University, Visiting Scholar, Department of Economics, 2009

          Affiliation: Development Research Institute

EDUCATION

Ph.D. Harvard University, 2009

M.A. The Fletcher School, 2002

Licenciatura Economics, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, 2000

PUBLICATIONS

             1.  "Zero-sum Thinking and the Roots of U.S. Political Differences" (with Sahil Chinoy, Stefanie Stantcheva and Nathan Nunn)

       American Economic Review (accepted)

2. "Identity, Media and Consumer Behavior" (2025), with Mattia Nardotto, 

      Review of Economic Studies (accepted)

3. "Learning by Searching: Spatial Mismatches and Imperfect Information in Southern Labor Markets" (2022),  with Abhijit Banerjee 

              Journal of Development Economics

       4. " Closing the Gender Profit Gap?", with Catia Batista and Pedro Vicente (2022) , VoxDev,

              Management Science  (also selected for the Special Issue on Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, Management Science)

5. "Immigrants and the Making of America", with Nathan Nunn and Nancy Qian (2019)

Review of Economic Studies

6. “Corruption, Trade Costs and Gains from Tariff Liberalization: Evidence from Southern Africa” (2016)

American Economic Review 

7. "Rewarding Schooling Success and Perceived Returns to Education: Evidence from India", with Johannes Spinnewijn and Guo Xu (2016)

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization

8. “Consumer Demand for the Fair Trade Label: Evidence from a Multi-Store Field Experiment”, with Michael Hiscox and Jens Hainmueller, (2015)

Review of Economics and Statistics

9.  “Corruption and Firm Behaviour: Evidence from African Ports”, with Simeon Djankov, (2014)

Journal of International Economics

 WORKING PAPERS

"Conflict, Forced Displacement and Human Capital" (with Giorgio Chiovelli, Stelios Michalopoulos and Elias Papaioannou), R&R Quarterly Journal of Economics

"Price Norms and Consumer Behavior" (with Pedro Bordalo , Mattia Nardotto and Matthew O'Brien)

"Financial Security, Climate Shocks and Social Cohesion" (with Theresa Beltramo, Florence Nimoh and Matthew O'Brien)

Chapters in Edited Volumes and Papers in Public Health

1. "RCTs as an opportunity to promote interdisciplinary, inclusive and diverse quantitative development", World Development, Volume 127, March 2020 (with Joana Naritomi, Jonathan Weigel and Diana Weinhold)

2. “Advances in Measuring Corruption” (2012) in  New Advances in Experimental Research on Corruption, eds Danila Serra and Leonard Wantchekon, Emerald Publishing

3. "Corruption and Trade Costs" (2015) in Greed, Corruption and the Modern State: Essays in Political Economy, eds Paul Lagunes and Susan Rose-Ackerman, Edward Elgar Publishing

4. “Transport costs and Firm Behaviour”(2011) in Where to spend the next million? Applying impact evaluation to trade assistance, eds Olivier Cadot, Ana M. Fernandes, Julien Gourdon and Aaditya Mattoo, CEPR, Center for Economic Policy Research

5. "Reviving Trade Routes: Evidence from the Maputo Corridor" (2014), with Oliver Hartmann and Charles Kunaka, World Bank

6. "Shape Up and Ship Out? Gender Constraints to Growth and Exporting in South Africa" (2014), (with Thomas Bossuroy, Aidan Coville, Francisco Campos, Markus Goldstein, Gareth Roberts) in Women and Trade in Africa, Realizing the Potential, World Bank

7.  "Evaluating the relationship between an intervention to schedule care and waiting time and utilization of antenatal care in Mozambique", (2019) with Maria Steenland, Janeth Dula, Amanda de Albuquerque, Quinhas Fernandes, Rosa Marlene Cuco, Sergio Chicumbe, Eduardo Samo Gudo and Margaret McConnell; BMJ: Global Health

8.  "Client experiences with antenatal care waiting times in southern Mozambique'' (2019), with Estelle Gong, Margaret McConnell, Eduardo Samo Gudo, Janet Dula, Sergio Chicumbe, Amanda Albuquerque; BMC Health Services Research

Research in Progress

 "Improving the Efficiency of Health Systems: Evidence from Mozambique" (with Amanda Albuquerque, Margaret McConnell  and Janeth Dula)

"Municipal Taxation and Urban Development" (with Gabriel Ulyssea)

"Tax Evasion" (with Nada Eissa, Michael Best and Parijat Lal)

Impact (selected)

Improving Primary Health Care in Mozambique; 

Reducing Corruption in Ports; 

UNHCR - Graduation Programme in Mozambique

RESEARCH GRANTS

       STEG, 2024-2025 (£24k) Municipal Taxation and Urban Development, with G. Ulyssea

IGC, 2024-2025 (£120K), Municipal Taxation and Urban Development, with G. Ulyssea

WHO-Raise Competition Award, 2019-2021, (£80K) "Improving Health Systems in  Mozambique", with E. Gudo, M. Steenland, M. McConnell, A. Albuquerque

       Russell Sage Foundation, Foundations of Human Behaviour, 2019-2021, ($50k; $40k) "Immigrants and the  American Dream", N. Nunn, A. Alesina, S. Stancheva 

       LSE Impact Fund, 2019-202 (£66k) "Bringing Development Economics to Life through Film-Making"

       ERC, Starting Grant, (€1.5 m) 2019-2024, "Refugees, Development and Growth"

       STICERD, (£4k) 2019/20 "Immigrants and the American Dream" N. Nunn, A. Alesina, S. Stantcheva

 IGC Research Grant, (£45k) 2018-2019 "Financial Management Capital and School Performance" with Guo  Xu and Daniela Scur

       DFID and UNHCR ($349k) "Refugees and labor markets", with T Beltramo and C. Batista, 2017-19

IGC Research Grant (£45k), "The long-run effects of exposure to violence and displacement", with S. Michalopoulos, Elias Papaioanou and G. Chiovelli, 2017-2018

JPAL, IGC and World Bank (£185k; $45k; $150k), "Improving the Efficiency of Health Systems: Evidence from Mozambique", with M. McConnell and M. Steenland, 2015-2019

Russell Sage Foundation ($87k), "Migrants and the Making of America", with N. Nunn and N. Qian, 2014-2016

ESRC-TSB, (£200k), "Ethical Branding and Consumer Prosocial Behavior", with R. Griffith, 2014-2016

PPE, JPAL, ($112k) "Soft skills and Labor Market Outcomes", with A. Banerjee, 2014-2016

DIV USAID, ($300k) "Technology and Financial Literacy in Economic Development" with P. Vicente and C. Batista, 2013-2015

IGC Research Grant (£90k) "Technology and Financial Literacy in Economic Development" with P. Vicente and C. Batista, 2011-2013

JPAL-Africa,($200k) “Transport Subsidies and Job Search Dynamics”, with A. Banerjee 2011-2012

KCP Grant, World Bank ($300k),“The Economics of Entrepreneurial Networking”, with M. Goldstein, A. Coville, G. Roberts, T. Bossuroy and F. Campos 2011-2012

IGC Research Grant (£84k), with N. Rankin “Railroad to Growth”, 2011-2012

STICERD Small grants (total £5k), 2011-2013

IGC Research Grant (£16k), 2011-2012

Russell Sage Foundation ($5k), Small Grant in Behavioral Economics, 2010-2012

IGC Research Grant (£15k), with M. Hiscox and J. Hainmueller, 2010

Humanity United ($255k),  with M. Hiscox and J. Hainmueller, 2009-2012 

Graduate School

World Bank and Government of Mozambique, (~$200k), 2006-2009

Southeast Asia Initiative ($7k), Harvard University, 2008

Asia Center, Harvard University, 2008

Women in Public Policy, Harvard University, 2008

Committee on African Studies, Harvard University, 2005

Center for International Development, Harvard University, 2005

Honors, Fellowships and Awards       

       Fellow, Royal Economic Society, 2025-

        British Academy Fellowship, 2025-2026

Philip Leverhulme Prize in Economics, 2022

       ERC Starting Grant, 2019-2024

       LSE, Highly Commended for Inspirational Teaching, 2019

       LSE Teaching Promotion Award, 2017

LSE Teaching Excellence Award, 2016

Young Researcher Award, STICERD, 2010-2011

Post Doctoral Fellowship, Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, Portugal, 2009

Sidney Knafel Fellow, Harvard University, 2008-2009

Grover Hermann Fellow, Institute for Humane Studies, 2006-2008

Doctoral Fellowship, Gulbenkian Foundation, 2005-2007

Doctoral Fellowship, Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, 2000-2004

IQSS and WCFIA Graduate Associate, Harvard University, 2005-2008

Robert Bosch Foundation Grant, 2004

David Will’s Bursary, Cambridge University, 2004

Excellence in Teaching Award, Harvard University, 2004

International Civil Servant, UN, 2003

Active Citizenship and Community Service Award, Tufts University, 2002

Keynotes: 

NICEP,  Economics and Politics, Nottingham (2025) 

CEPR, People's Understanding of Economic Policy (2025)

Migration Conference, Rockwool Foundation (2025)

ADF-WB, Bologna (2024)

German Development Economics Association (2024)

       Italian Society of Development Economics (2023)

ISEG- Lisbon Migration Economics Workshop (2024)

OECD/PSE/CEPII, Paris (2023)

              EBRD-Kings College Conference on Migration (2022)

Development Studies Association, Glasgow (2017)

Invited Talks

2025:  Stockholm School of Economics, Berlin Applied Micro Seminar (BAMS); Rome Tor Vergata; Bologna (ROBO); Rockwool Foundation; Colegio Carlo Alberto (Turin);  CSAE, Oxford; Stockholm School of Economics; Toulouse School of Economics; Paris School of Economics; Bristol University; Kings College

2024: Paris School of Economics; Carlos III Madrid; Cattolica di Milano;  Universidade do Minho; Royal Holloway; QMUL /Warwick Workshop on Culture and PE; GLO;  CEPR Development Summer School, Italy; POLECONUK Kings; ERINN, Italy; Oxford PE

2023: Georgetown University, World Bank (x2), Barcelona GSE Summer Forum (x2) ; University of Kiel; Nova SBE; Louvain; LISER Luxemburg; University of York; WB/IFS/ODI/Tax Conference (discussant); Brussels HCiN Conference; CEPR Symposium Political Economy

2021/2:  UNU-WIDER (Helsinki); Workshop on Culture, Institutions and Development, Lund University; Georgetown; Harvard; Aix Marseille;  Oxford University; University of Padova; Econ Tribute workshop; The Economics of Migration (CERDI/PSE/WB/LISER/UC Davis/BU/CarlosIII/CEPII/IC Migrations) ; UNHCR/Los Andes/World Bank; Utah (discussant); DIW Berlin; IGC workshop on Forced Displacement (Mozambique)

2019/20: Nottingham; New Economic School; National Research University (cancelled); Galatina Summer Institute; Aix-Marseille; Queen Mary; CEU Budapest; Vienna; Harvard University; University of Zurich; Imperial College Business School ; Universidad de los Andes; University St Andrews; NBER-PE; BREAD/CEPR/TDC/STICERD; EBRD-Kings Conference on Migration (discussant)

2018: University of Zurich; World Bank Research Group; DIW Berlin; University of Glasgow; Boston University; Tufts University; Harvard University

2017: Reading University; Bristol University; Bonn University; CEPR Labor and Development Economics (Panel); Yale University; UCL; Trinity College Dublin; Sussex; Queen Mary; Catolica Business School; Oxford University; St Gallen University

2016: Nova Business School (maternity leave)

2015: Harvard; Stanford; University of Southern California; University of Nottingham; Stockholm University; UC Berkeley, Goldman; European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; WZB Berlin; Center for Global Development; Barcelona GSE; Nova Business School; University of Zurich

2014: IDB; Georgetown; Harvard (maternity leave)

2013: Petralia Workshop; BREAD- Brown University; Manchester University; World Bank Trade Group; University of Oslo

2012: Heidelberg University; New Economic School; AL CAPONE meetings Berkeley; Oxford University; AEA Chicago

2011: Pompeu Fabra University; DfID; UK Fair Trade Foundation; Kusuma-Asia Center LSE, New Delhi

2010: Trade Group World Bank, Public Economics UK, Warwick University, LACEA, Political Economy Meetings, Cartagena Colombia; Department of Economics NYU; Toulouse School of Economics; American Economic Association Meetings, Atlanta; IESE- Barcelona

2009: UNU-WIDER, Helsinki, Finland; Applied Statistics Seminar, Harvard; Stanford University, Department of Economics; Inter American Development Bank, Research Group; IFPRI, International Food Policy Research Institute; Georgetown University; London School of Economics; Center for Global Development; LACEA, Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association, Brazil; NEUDC, Boston University;

2008: Brookings Institution; European Economic Association Meetings, Bocconi University; Econometric Society Summer Meetings, Carnegie Mellon University

2007:  Political Economy Workshop, Harvard University; Department of Trade and Industry South Africa; World Bank (Trade Group and Spatial Analysis Unit)

2005: National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi, India

Conferences

Panel member, Wise G20 remittances roundtable event, 2021

IGC (Chair), Remittances, Trade, 2020, 2023

Chatham House (Chair), Infrastructure in Africa, 2016

“Impact Evaluations in Transport”, DfID, 2012, 2013

“Impact Evaluations of Private Sector Development Initiatives”, DfID, 2012

“Evaluating the Impact of Fair Trade”, UK Fair Trade Association, 2011, 2012

“Fellowships and Incentives to Learn”, Kusuma Foundation and LSE Asia Research Center, 2011

“Transport Costs and Firm Behaviour”, World Bank, DEC, 2010

“Emerging Africa and Global Business Opportunities”, IESE, Barcelona, 2010

“The Political Economy of Investments in Transport Infrastructure”, Africa House, NYU, 2010

“Soft Infrastructure and Trade Costs”, WCFIA, Harvard University, 2009