About the Growth CoLab at CEU

We are a research collaboration between faculty and researchers at the Growth Lab at Harvard University, the Complexity Science Hub (CSH) and the Central European University (CEU).

We pursue projects that address current challenges of economic development policy by working in teams of scientists, practitioners and students of public policy. In this way, the CoLab also serves as a teaching hospital in public policy for the students of the affiliated organizations. We leverage decades of expertise in connecting science with policy across three leading organizations. The CoLab was established in 2024, and is based in Vienna, Austria.

Teaching Hospital

Professor Ricardo Hausmann, the founder of the Growth Lab at Harvard University, envisioned his lab as a teaching hospital for the students of public policy. The Growth CoLab embraces that vision. As part of the CoLab, students take part in applied policy projects, where they engage with governments, and other actors involved in the shaping of public policy. We offer impactful roles and proper supervision to students.
At CEU, we teach the course Economic Development Policy to master's and advanced bachelor's students. The course provides students with foundational knowledge and frameworks useful for diagnosing and approaching economic development challenges.

Areas of Expertise

We work in the areas of economic development policy, labor markets, migration and the future of work, social cohesion and the green transition, among other topics.