Richard Nerland
@richardnerland.bsky.social
I'm trying to build infrastructure for scaled migration and education.
Pinned
Why'd I invest in Malengo?
TL;DR Malengo targets education AND migration, which are fundamental to improving the world. Malengo's clever design makes it scalable and sustainable, meaning it has amazing potential if it can attract investors and donors.
TL;DR Malengo targets education AND migration, which are fundamental to improving the world. Malengo's clever design makes it scalable and sustainable, meaning it has amazing potential if it can attract investors and donors.
I'm excited, the RCT suggests Malengo increases psychological well‑being by about 0.36 standard deviations. As a reference point, this is similar in magnitude to the improvements after vision-restoring cataract surgery.
This is not obvious a priori!
This is not obvious a priori!
Exciting news on @malengo.org, the NGO that helps East African students move to Europe for education: Our research team has given us a glimpse of their early findings!
Here is the full writeup, joint with @richardnerland.bsky.social:
forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/CpZYHk...
Thread follows!
Here is the full writeup, joint with @richardnerland.bsky.social:
forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/CpZYHk...
Thread follows!
November 27, 2025 at 9:01 PM
I'm excited, the RCT suggests Malengo increases psychological well‑being by about 0.36 standard deviations. As a reference point, this is similar in magnitude to the improvements after vision-restoring cataract surgery.
This is not obvious a priori!
This is not obvious a priori!
Reposted by Richard Nerland
Great news on @malengo.org: With a new large investment from The Shapiro Foundation (theshapirofoundation.org), we'll be able to bring several hundred vocational training and university students from Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda to Europe over the coming years!
More here: malengo.org/malengo-secu...
More here: malengo.org/malengo-secu...
October 23, 2025 at 3:31 AM
Great news on @malengo.org: With a new large investment from The Shapiro Foundation (theshapirofoundation.org), we'll be able to bring several hundred vocational training and university students from Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda to Europe over the coming years!
More here: malengo.org/malengo-secu...
More here: malengo.org/malengo-secu...
Reposted by Richard Nerland
As of Feb 9, less than 10% of PEPFAR contractors surveyed had restarted any activities. It's not their fault: They need to get explicit program-level waivers and that's a bottleneck. Plus, even with a waiver, USG owes them heaps of $ and they have no cash.
Survey of PEPFAR contractors Jan 24-28 suggested 36% of organizations had already shut down by that point. As of February 9, most services remained paused. Of 65 PEPFAR partners surveyed, less than 10% had restarted providing any services.
www.amfar.org/wp-content/u...
www.amfar.org/wp-content/u...
February 16, 2025 at 6:28 PM
As of Feb 9, less than 10% of PEPFAR contractors surveyed had restarted any activities. It's not their fault: They need to get explicit program-level waivers and that's a bottleneck. Plus, even with a waiver, USG owes them heaps of $ and they have no cash.
Reposted by Richard Nerland
It would be ideal if everyone thought of democracy mostly as rules/process PLUS a people-centered collective pursuit of material outcomes; as opposed to democracy as just rules and process.
The latter model leads people to think they can fact check their way out of autocracy.
The latter model leads people to think they can fact check their way out of autocracy.
February 17, 2025 at 3:28 AM
It would be ideal if everyone thought of democracy mostly as rules/process PLUS a people-centered collective pursuit of material outcomes; as opposed to democracy as just rules and process.
The latter model leads people to think they can fact check their way out of autocracy.
The latter model leads people to think they can fact check their way out of autocracy.
Reposted by Richard Nerland
Quick 🧵 on American aid spending, to accompany my new Substack (link below)
US aid obligations have remained remarkably steady in real terms since WWII, rarely exiting a band of $20-60 billion in 2023 dollars. Surprisingly, the year with the most aid obligations was... 1948!
US aid obligations have remained remarkably steady in real terms since WWII, rarely exiting a band of $20-60 billion in 2023 dollars. Surprisingly, the year with the most aid obligations was... 1948!
February 12, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Quick 🧵 on American aid spending, to accompany my new Substack (link below)
US aid obligations have remained remarkably steady in real terms since WWII, rarely exiting a band of $20-60 billion in 2023 dollars. Surprisingly, the year with the most aid obligations was... 1948!
US aid obligations have remained remarkably steady in real terms since WWII, rarely exiting a band of $20-60 billion in 2023 dollars. Surprisingly, the year with the most aid obligations was... 1948!
I think USAID was underrated because it served something that is habitually underrated: scale
flavoryeagle.substack.com/p/usaid-serv...
flavoryeagle.substack.com/p/usaid-serv...
USAID Served Health At Scale
Overcoming Complexity with Strategic Funding and Unyielding Institutional Resolve
flavoryeagle.substack.com
February 8, 2025 at 9:07 PM
I think USAID was underrated because it served something that is habitually underrated: scale
flavoryeagle.substack.com/p/usaid-serv...
flavoryeagle.substack.com/p/usaid-serv...
Reposted by Richard Nerland
Regarding the ongoing moral circle debate:
Simply asking people who they care about is cheap talk. In my book, I find that when their own interests are at stake, most prioritize themselves and family over the country, and the country over foreigners. Notably, the nation ranks above the local.
Simply asking people who they care about is cheap talk. In my book, I find that when their own interests are at stake, most prioritize themselves and family over the country, and the country over foreigners. Notably, the nation ranks above the local.
February 3, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Regarding the ongoing moral circle debate:
Simply asking people who they care about is cheap talk. In my book, I find that when their own interests are at stake, most prioritize themselves and family over the country, and the country over foreigners. Notably, the nation ranks above the local.
Simply asking people who they care about is cheap talk. In my book, I find that when their own interests are at stake, most prioritize themselves and family over the country, and the country over foreigners. Notably, the nation ranks above the local.
Reposted by Richard Nerland
Me p-hacking and finding stuff: Haha fuck yeah!!! Yes!!
Me failing to replicate: Well this fucking sucks. What the fuck.
Me failing to replicate: Well this fucking sucks. What the fuck.
January 22, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Me p-hacking and finding stuff: Haha fuck yeah!!! Yes!!
Me failing to replicate: Well this fucking sucks. What the fuck.
Me failing to replicate: Well this fucking sucks. What the fuck.
Reposted by Richard Nerland
For a few years, I have been paying out of pocket for the epinowcast forum as I thought it was important to have a venue for people to collab. There is some great stuff kicking off at the moment which is lovely to see.
community.epinowcast.org/t/include-a-...
community.epinowcast.org/t/include-a-...
Include a simple reference model
Baselines considered: no correction baseline (naïve but not realistically what epi colleagues would expect) cut off last few weeks and repeat the previous week(s) (i.e. thinking that the data will b...
community.epinowcast.org
January 22, 2025 at 11:16 AM
For a few years, I have been paying out of pocket for the epinowcast forum as I thought it was important to have a venue for people to collab. There is some great stuff kicking off at the moment which is lovely to see.
community.epinowcast.org/t/include-a-...
community.epinowcast.org/t/include-a-...
Reposted by Richard Nerland
struggling to endure this cold weather? let me share my new trick to stay warm outside. I mean this very sincerely as I have endured many cold winters to very slowly learn this point. In order for your winter clothes to keep you warm, you have to wear them. This trick really turned my life around.
January 21, 2025 at 8:53 PM
struggling to endure this cold weather? let me share my new trick to stay warm outside. I mean this very sincerely as I have endured many cold winters to very slowly learn this point. In order for your winter clothes to keep you warm, you have to wear them. This trick really turned my life around.
Reposted by Richard Nerland
I've had a long-running thread on twitter on the real migration crisis (not enough migrants). Will start posting here... but for the earlier 1,000-plus examples, see here:
x.com/charlesjkenn...
x.com/charlesjkenn...
x.com
x.com
November 11, 2024 at 3:01 PM
I've had a long-running thread on twitter on the real migration crisis (not enough migrants). Will start posting here... but for the earlier 1,000-plus examples, see here:
x.com/charlesjkenn...
x.com/charlesjkenn...
What if we tax tech monopoly power by using market signals? Here's how: when ad platforms can charge way above market rates, they're extracting rent from their network effects rather than competing on quality.
January 1, 2025 at 6:42 PM
What if we tax tech monopoly power by using market signals? Here's how: when ad platforms can charge way above market rates, they're extracting rent from their network effects rather than competing on quality.
Took my daughter to see Holiday Lights. I finished with a great picture of her.
a close up of a man 's face with his mouth open .
ALT: a close up of a man 's face with his mouth open .
media.tenor.com
December 29, 2024 at 3:22 AM
Took my daughter to see Holiday Lights. I finished with a great picture of her.
Reposted by Richard Nerland
What would be
a) your preferred immigration reform and
b) the best immigration reform that you consider politically feasible in the next 4 years?
a) your preferred immigration reform and
b) the best immigration reform that you consider politically feasible in the next 4 years?
December 28, 2024 at 10:07 PM
What would be
a) your preferred immigration reform and
b) the best immigration reform that you consider politically feasible in the next 4 years?
a) your preferred immigration reform and
b) the best immigration reform that you consider politically feasible in the next 4 years?
Reposted by Richard Nerland
This and the OP is critical for understanding people’s reactions to LLMs, both positive and negative. I’ve seen a bias develop in both cases. In former case, heavy users have a feel for what prompts work and have limited their requests to those categories. This creates impression of robustness 1/n
i think this is a good and important general reminder that the toolkit you have always influences the questions you tend to consider. (ALWAYS. the only questions are the extent, how aware of it we will be, and what we will do about it.)
read this and had a full epiphany that ai has simply trained all these idiots to give it easy prompts.
December 27, 2024 at 2:19 PM
This and the OP is critical for understanding people’s reactions to LLMs, both positive and negative. I’ve seen a bias develop in both cases. In former case, heavy users have a feel for what prompts work and have limited their requests to those categories. This creates impression of robustness 1/n
Persuasion (sales/marketing?) matters more than information sharing for financial product adoption in India. Makes me think: is this why for-profit programs often succeed where non-profits struggle? Donors fund programs but resist paying for marketing & sales teams that drive real adoption
Economics often appears to work in isolation: "It is now well established that many human behaviors spread on social networks." www.nber.org/papers/w33285
Boy do I remember resistance to this idea 20 years ago. :-)
Boy do I remember resistance to this idea 20 years ago. :-)
Diffusion in Social Networks: Experimental Evidence on Information Sharing vs Persuasion
Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...
www.nber.org
December 27, 2024 at 3:15 PM
Persuasion (sales/marketing?) matters more than information sharing for financial product adoption in India. Makes me think: is this why for-profit programs often succeed where non-profits struggle? Donors fund programs but resist paying for marketing & sales teams that drive real adoption
Reposted by Richard Nerland
While we're sharing 'Best of 2024' lists, I'm re-upping my round-up of medical breakthroughs, in case you missed it.
There's an audio voiceover too! So I hope you enjoy reading or listening 😚
There's an audio voiceover too! So I hope you enjoy reading or listening 😚
New post: My substack is back, finally!
I meant to keep this to 1,000 words but I failed.
In any case, here's a round up of 5 major medical breakthroughs in 2024.
I meant to keep this to 1,000 words but I failed.
In any case, here's a round up of 5 major medical breakthroughs in 2024.
Five medical breakthroughs in 2024
It's December, and time for a retrospective on some breakthroughs in medical innovation this year.
www.scientificdiscovery.dev
December 27, 2024 at 12:54 PM
While we're sharing 'Best of 2024' lists, I'm re-upping my round-up of medical breakthroughs, in case you missed it.
There's an audio voiceover too! So I hope you enjoy reading or listening 😚
There's an audio voiceover too! So I hope you enjoy reading or listening 😚
Reposted by Richard Nerland
I'll be a little cynical here: Recent right-wing debates over high-skilled immigration reveal missed opportunities in opposition messaging and media coverage.
Part of that is on us as advocates for migration not centering the debate on popular forms at all times.
Part of that is on us as advocates for migration not centering the debate on popular forms at all times.
December 27, 2024 at 12:46 PM
I'll be a little cynical here: Recent right-wing debates over high-skilled immigration reveal missed opportunities in opposition messaging and media coverage.
Part of that is on us as advocates for migration not centering the debate on popular forms at all times.
Part of that is on us as advocates for migration not centering the debate on popular forms at all times.
Reposted by Richard Nerland
It's time for an end-of-year update on @malengo.org! Our goal is to alleviate extreme poverty by facilitating international educational migration. Our flagship program supports Ugandan high school graduates in applying for and obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Germany. Here is what we're been up to!
December 25, 2024 at 12:09 PM
It's time for an end-of-year update on @malengo.org! Our goal is to alleviate extreme poverty by facilitating international educational migration. Our flagship program supports Ugandan high school graduates in applying for and obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Germany. Here is what we're been up to!
Reposted by Richard Nerland
As a Christmas treat, I put together a roundup of all migration job market papers in economics.
International migration: www.laurenpolicy.com/p/2024-2025-...
Domestic migration: www.laurenpolicy.com/p/2024-2025-...
International migration: www.laurenpolicy.com/p/2024-2025-...
Domestic migration: www.laurenpolicy.com/p/2024-2025-...
2024-2025 International Migration Job Market Papers
In economics, graduate students going on the job market present a single job market paper. I’ve gathered all the international migration-related job market papers from the top 100 economics department...
www.laurenpolicy.com
December 23, 2024 at 11:52 AM
As a Christmas treat, I put together a roundup of all migration job market papers in economics.
International migration: www.laurenpolicy.com/p/2024-2025-...
Domestic migration: www.laurenpolicy.com/p/2024-2025-...
International migration: www.laurenpolicy.com/p/2024-2025-...
Domestic migration: www.laurenpolicy.com/p/2024-2025-...
Reposted by Richard Nerland
Have you ever wondered:
Which antibiotics are most common? How much is used in livestock? How do antibiotics even work? Which countries monitor antibiotic resistance?
We have a new page on Our World in Data with data on all of these & more! Check it out:
ourworldindata.org/antibiotics
Which antibiotics are most common? How much is used in livestock? How do antibiotics even work? Which countries monitor antibiotic resistance?
We have a new page on Our World in Data with data on all of these & more! Check it out:
ourworldindata.org/antibiotics
December 23, 2024 at 4:16 PM
Have you ever wondered:
Which antibiotics are most common? How much is used in livestock? How do antibiotics even work? Which countries monitor antibiotic resistance?
We have a new page on Our World in Data with data on all of these & more! Check it out:
ourworldindata.org/antibiotics
Which antibiotics are most common? How much is used in livestock? How do antibiotics even work? Which countries monitor antibiotic resistance?
We have a new page on Our World in Data with data on all of these & more! Check it out:
ourworldindata.org/antibiotics
Reposted by Richard Nerland
We just donated to @malengo.org if anybody's looking for a great non-profit to support at the end of the year!
Hello! We're Malengo, a non-profit whose mission is to facilitate international educational migration. This year we're supporting 120 young Ugandans with finance and mentoring on their journey to a Bachelor's degree in Germany. You can learn more about us at www.malengo.org! #EconSky
December 22, 2024 at 8:59 PM
We just donated to @malengo.org if anybody's looking for a great non-profit to support at the end of the year!
Reposted by Richard Nerland
I suspect we are about to enter an interim period where AI exceeds human performance on many cognitive tasks, but this is not common knowledge, and so most people and institutions act like this is not generally the case.
December 22, 2024 at 5:30 PM
I suspect we are about to enter an interim period where AI exceeds human performance on many cognitive tasks, but this is not common knowledge, and so most people and institutions act like this is not generally the case.
Reposted by Richard Nerland
Your regular reminder that it wasn’t until the mid 1990s that Africa caught up with Europe’s population. Relatively speaking, there *used to be* a lot of Europeans.
December 22, 2024 at 8:24 AM
Your regular reminder that it wasn’t until the mid 1990s that Africa caught up with Europe’s population. Relatively speaking, there *used to be* a lot of Europeans.