Toman Barsbai
@tomanbarsbai.com
Professor of Economics at the University of Bristol. Development, migration, culture, and behavior. tomanbarsbai.com
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
New from me:
An interactive data visualization showing billionaire migration: paths from birthplace to most recent residence for > 3,100 of the world’s richest individuals.
Most importantly, fun to play around with; also, useful for thinking about q's re: elites and comparative wealth ineq. 1/5
An interactive data visualization showing billionaire migration: paths from birthplace to most recent residence for > 3,100 of the world’s richest individuals.
Most importantly, fun to play around with; also, useful for thinking about q's re: elites and comparative wealth ineq. 1/5
Billionaire Migration: An Interactive Map
An interactive map of city-level migration flows for 3,106 billionaires from birth to most recent residence.
wesleystubenbord.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:31 AM
New from me:
An interactive data visualization showing billionaire migration: paths from birthplace to most recent residence for > 3,100 of the world’s richest individuals.
Most importantly, fun to play around with; also, useful for thinking about q's re: elites and comparative wealth ineq. 1/5
An interactive data visualization showing billionaire migration: paths from birthplace to most recent residence for > 3,100 of the world’s richest individuals.
Most importantly, fun to play around with; also, useful for thinking about q's re: elites and comparative wealth ineq. 1/5
BÆM is back! Submit your paper and join us for the 3rd Bristol Applied Economics Meetings. Three workshops with a fantastic lineup of invited speakers:
Development Economics, 5-6 May
Economics of Migration, 6-7 May
Fairness in the Economy, 8 May
Calls for papers👇https://www.baem.info/
Development Economics, 5-6 May
Economics of Migration, 6-7 May
Fairness in the Economy, 8 May
Calls for papers👇https://www.baem.info/
November 5, 2025 at 1:48 PM
BÆM is back! Submit your paper and join us for the 3rd Bristol Applied Economics Meetings. Three workshops with a fantastic lineup of invited speakers:
Development Economics, 5-6 May
Economics of Migration, 6-7 May
Fairness in the Economy, 8 May
Calls for papers👇https://www.baem.info/
Development Economics, 5-6 May
Economics of Migration, 6-7 May
Fairness in the Economy, 8 May
Calls for papers👇https://www.baem.info/
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
The economic effects of international students go far beyond their tuition dollars.
Many stay, innovate, & shape the productivity of the entire economy.
My co-authors & I estimate the impact of US international student exclusion policy in this new paper commissioned by the @nationalacademies.org.
Many stay, innovate, & shape the productivity of the entire economy.
My co-authors & I estimate the impact of US international student exclusion policy in this new paper commissioned by the @nationalacademies.org.
October 24, 2025 at 11:26 AM
The economic effects of international students go far beyond their tuition dollars.
Many stay, innovate, & shape the productivity of the entire economy.
My co-authors & I estimate the impact of US international student exclusion policy in this new paper commissioned by the @nationalacademies.org.
Many stay, innovate, & shape the productivity of the entire economy.
My co-authors & I estimate the impact of US international student exclusion policy in this new paper commissioned by the @nationalacademies.org.
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
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 Toman Barsbai
In today's blog, I discuss 3 ways for international migration to be part of a structural transformation policy: 1) as an industry itself; 2) training people abroad in the skills to develop a new industry at home; and 3) through immigration (eg Start-up Chile) blogs.worldbank.org/en/impacteva...
International Migration as a Structural Transformation Policy
blogs.worldbank.org
September 29, 2025 at 12:45 PM
In today's blog, I discuss 3 ways for international migration to be part of a structural transformation policy: 1) as an industry itself; 2) training people abroad in the skills to develop a new industry at home; and 3) through immigration (eg Start-up Chile) blogs.worldbank.org/en/impacteva...
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
Very useful summary by @mclem.org of the evidence on skilled migration and the likely impact of Trump's H1B visa fee.
www.piie.com/blogs/realti...
www.piie.com/blogs/realti...
New US curb on high-skill immigrant workers ignores evidence of its likely harms
President Donald Trump on Friday ordered an unprecedented new restriction on lawful immigration to the US by high-skill workers. Starting Sunday, new applications for H-1B visas required payment of an...
www.piie.com
September 23, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Very useful summary by @mclem.org of the evidence on skilled migration and the likely impact of Trump's H1B visa fee.
www.piie.com/blogs/realti...
www.piie.com/blogs/realti...
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
Great new blog post by @lgilbert.co about @malengo.org's Uganda–Germany university program! www.laurenpolicy.com/p/what-happe...
What happens when you send Ugandan students to Germany?
Most of this blog is about international migration, and particularly, the economics of international migration.
www.laurenpolicy.com
September 5, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Great new blog post by @lgilbert.co about @malengo.org's Uganda–Germany university program! www.laurenpolicy.com/p/what-happe...
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
📢 New publication out!
We introduce the IAB-BAMF-SOEP Refugee Survey — a high-quality, longitudinal household panel on refugee integration in Germany. Combining rich survey data with administrative linkages.
📰 doi.org/10.1093/esr/...
@iabnews.bsky.social @bamf.de @diw.de
We introduce the IAB-BAMF-SOEP Refugee Survey — a high-quality, longitudinal household panel on refugee integration in Germany. Combining rich survey data with administrative linkages.
📰 doi.org/10.1093/esr/...
@iabnews.bsky.social @bamf.de @diw.de
July 20, 2025 at 10:58 AM
📢 New publication out!
We introduce the IAB-BAMF-SOEP Refugee Survey — a high-quality, longitudinal household panel on refugee integration in Germany. Combining rich survey data with administrative linkages.
📰 doi.org/10.1093/esr/...
@iabnews.bsky.social @bamf.de @diw.de
We introduce the IAB-BAMF-SOEP Refugee Survey — a high-quality, longitudinal household panel on refugee integration in Germany. Combining rich survey data with administrative linkages.
📰 doi.org/10.1093/esr/...
@iabnews.bsky.social @bamf.de @diw.de
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
Free Primary Education is widely seen as a tool to promote long-term growth, but in a new working paper (🚨),
@eleonoraguarnieri.bsky.social, Helmut Rainer and I show that the effects are more immediate and wide-reaching, with FPE leading to reduced fertility and greater female empowerment.
@eleonoraguarnieri.bsky.social, Helmut Rainer and I show that the effects are more immediate and wide-reaching, with FPE leading to reduced fertility and greater female empowerment.
July 16, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Free Primary Education is widely seen as a tool to promote long-term growth, but in a new working paper (🚨),
@eleonoraguarnieri.bsky.social, Helmut Rainer and I show that the effects are more immediate and wide-reaching, with FPE leading to reduced fertility and greater female empowerment.
@eleonoraguarnieri.bsky.social, Helmut Rainer and I show that the effects are more immediate and wide-reaching, with FPE leading to reduced fertility and greater female empowerment.
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
✨Did markets make Americans more cooperative❓🔍
✅YES‼️
Between 1850 and 1920, the US became the largest and most integrated economy in the world 📶🌎
We show that this shift didn’t just move goods and affect prices—it fundamentally changed culture and behavior
🧵 👇 1/17
✅YES‼️
Between 1850 and 1920, the US became the largest and most integrated economy in the world 📶🌎
We show that this shift didn’t just move goods and affect prices—it fundamentally changed culture and behavior
🧵 👇 1/17
July 17, 2025 at 7:22 AM
✨Did markets make Americans more cooperative❓🔍
✅YES‼️
Between 1850 and 1920, the US became the largest and most integrated economy in the world 📶🌎
We show that this shift didn’t just move goods and affect prices—it fundamentally changed culture and behavior
🧵 👇 1/17
✅YES‼️
Between 1850 and 1920, the US became the largest and most integrated economy in the world 📶🌎
We show that this shift didn’t just move goods and affect prices—it fundamentally changed culture and behavior
🧵 👇 1/17
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
🆕 Why ‘Brain Drain’ is an incomplete story of migration 📢
Today on VoxDevTalks, @catiabatista.bsky.social (@novafrica.bsky.social) & Caroline Theoharides (Amherst College) discuss the channels through which emigration can benefit origin countries: voxdev.org/topic/migrat...
Today on VoxDevTalks, @catiabatista.bsky.social (@novafrica.bsky.social) & Caroline Theoharides (Amherst College) discuss the channels through which emigration can benefit origin countries: voxdev.org/topic/migrat...
July 9, 2025 at 8:37 AM
🆕 Why ‘Brain Drain’ is an incomplete story of migration 📢
Today on VoxDevTalks, @catiabatista.bsky.social (@novafrica.bsky.social) & Caroline Theoharides (Amherst College) discuss the channels through which emigration can benefit origin countries: voxdev.org/topic/migrat...
Today on VoxDevTalks, @catiabatista.bsky.social (@novafrica.bsky.social) & Caroline Theoharides (Amherst College) discuss the channels through which emigration can benefit origin countries: voxdev.org/topic/migrat...
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
"The human niche began to expand substantially ~70ka, driven by increased use of diverse habitats, from forests to deserts. Humans dispersing out of Africa after 50ka had distinct ecological flexibility as they encountered climatically challenging habitats." New from @elliescerri.bsky.social & co.👇🧪
Major expansion in the human niche preceded out of Africa dispersal - Nature
Analysis of species distribution models in a pan-African database comprising chronometrically dated archaeological sites over the past 120,000 years shows major expansion in the human niche from 70 ka...
www.nature.com
June 18, 2025 at 4:09 PM
"The human niche began to expand substantially ~70ka, driven by increased use of diverse habitats, from forests to deserts. Humans dispersing out of Africa after 50ka had distinct ecological flexibility as they encountered climatically challenging habitats." New from @elliescerri.bsky.social & co.👇🧪
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
How does high-skilled emigration affect countries of origin? I summarize our recent Science paper, &draw out lessons from where we need nuance (not all high-skilled is the same, & most studies lump together), what we don't know (especially how to do better policy) blogs.worldbank.org/en/impacteva...
How does high-skilled emigration affect countries of origin? A new review highlights what we’ve learned and what we still don’t know
blogs.worldbank.org
May 27, 2025 at 5:20 PM
How does high-skilled emigration affect countries of origin? I summarize our recent Science paper, &draw out lessons from where we need nuance (not all high-skilled is the same, & most studies lump together), what we don't know (especially how to do better policy) blogs.worldbank.org/en/impacteva...
How does high-skilled emigration affect countries of origin? "The weight of the evidence suggests that migration opportunities often increase human capital stock in origin countries and produce downstream beneficial effects."
I love Figure 3, which summarizes the mechanisms.
I love Figure 3, which summarizes the mechanisms.
May 25, 2025 at 4:04 PM
How does high-skilled emigration affect countries of origin? "The weight of the evidence suggests that migration opportunities often increase human capital stock in origin countries and produce downstream beneficial effects."
I love Figure 3, which summarizes the mechanisms.
I love Figure 3, which summarizes the mechanisms.
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
Fascinating latest model of Homo sapiens evolution within Africa.
Interesting finding that cultural innovation was accelerated by both population size increases, but also recombination across partially isolated regions (e.g. Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa)
Interesting finding that cultural innovation was accelerated by both population size increases, but also recombination across partially isolated regions (e.g. Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa)
May 25, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Fascinating latest model of Homo sapiens evolution within Africa.
Interesting finding that cultural innovation was accelerated by both population size increases, but also recombination across partially isolated regions (e.g. Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa)
Interesting finding that cultural innovation was accelerated by both population size increases, but also recombination across partially isolated regions (e.g. Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa)
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
Our scholars in Kenya are getting ready to start nursing training in Germany, supported by #Malengo. They've learned German & now seek forward-thinking employers. Know a clinic or healthcare provider hiring? Let us know!
📷 www.malengo.org
#Nursing #TVET #Migration
📷 www.malengo.org
#Nursing #TVET #Migration
May 15, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Our scholars in Kenya are getting ready to start nursing training in Germany, supported by #Malengo. They've learned German & now seek forward-thinking employers. Know a clinic or healthcare provider hiring? Let us know!
📷 www.malengo.org
#Nursing #TVET #Migration
📷 www.malengo.org
#Nursing #TVET #Migration
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
Cross-species teamwork from @livingingroups.bsky.social reveals unexpected similarities in three social mammals 🤔
By lead author @pminasandra.bsky.social with Emily Grout, Katrina Brock, Meg Crofoot, Vlad Demartsev, Amlan Nayak, Eli
Strauss, Ari Strandburg-Peshkin🧵1/2
www.ab.mpg.de/679000/news_...
By lead author @pminasandra.bsky.social with Emily Grout, Katrina Brock, Meg Crofoot, Vlad Demartsev, Amlan Nayak, Eli
Strauss, Ari Strandburg-Peshkin🧵1/2
www.ab.mpg.de/679000/news_...
Very different mammals follow the same rules of behavior
Research hints at an underlying architecture that orders the movements of animals
www.ab.mpg.de
May 19, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Cross-species teamwork from @livingingroups.bsky.social reveals unexpected similarities in three social mammals 🤔
By lead author @pminasandra.bsky.social with Emily Grout, Katrina Brock, Meg Crofoot, Vlad Demartsev, Amlan Nayak, Eli
Strauss, Ari Strandburg-Peshkin🧵1/2
www.ab.mpg.de/679000/news_...
By lead author @pminasandra.bsky.social with Emily Grout, Katrina Brock, Meg Crofoot, Vlad Demartsev, Amlan Nayak, Eli
Strauss, Ari Strandburg-Peshkin🧵1/2
www.ab.mpg.de/679000/news_...
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
Reviewing the literature on the relationship between culture and political preferences, from Vasiliki Fouka and Marco Tabellini https://www.nber.org/papers/w33786
May 17, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Reviewing the literature on the relationship between culture and political preferences, from Vasiliki Fouka and Marco Tabellini https://www.nber.org/papers/w33786
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
When ethnic groups within countries become more culturally distant from those holding power in the central government, their likelihood of rebelling increases significantly. We spoke with @eleonoraguarnieri.bsky.social of @bristoluni.bsky.social about why such conflicts arise. #econsky
The cultural roots of rebellion
Eleonora Guarnieri discusses the role of cultural distance in driving civil conflict in Africa.
www.aeaweb.org
May 14, 2025 at 1:37 PM
When ethnic groups within countries become more culturally distant from those holding power in the central government, their likelihood of rebelling increases significantly. We spoke with @eleonoraguarnieri.bsky.social of @bristoluni.bsky.social about why such conflicts arise. #econsky
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
Day 3 of the 2025 Bristol Applied Economics Meetings (BÆM)! After two fantastic days on development economics, we continue with the meeting on “Gender, Diversity, and Human Capital”. Stay tuned for some excellent papers!
May 8, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Day 3 of the 2025 Bristol Applied Economics Meetings (BÆM)! After two fantastic days on development economics, we continue with the meeting on “Gender, Diversity, and Human Capital”. Stay tuned for some excellent papers!
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
Welcome to the 2025 Bristol Applied Economics Meetings (BÆM)! We’re kicking off with Development Economics. We have an exciting lineup of speakers, incl. @saralowes.bsky.social as keynote and Devesh Rustagi & @deanyang.bsky.social as invited speakers. Stay tuned for one key takeaway per talk!
May 6, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Welcome to the 2025 Bristol Applied Economics Meetings (BÆM)! We’re kicking off with Development Economics. We have an exciting lineup of speakers, incl. @saralowes.bsky.social as keynote and Devesh Rustagi & @deanyang.bsky.social as invited speakers. Stay tuned for one key takeaway per talk!
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
For German and French speakers interested in animal culture, this doco will be well worth 43 mins of your time. For everyone else, great tits solving puzzle boxes speak for themselves 🐦🧩🧠@lucymaplin.bsky.social @mchimento.bsky.social
www.arte.tv/de/videos/11...
www.arte.tv/de/videos/11...
Kultur im Tierreich - Voneinander lernen - Die ganze Doku | ARTE
Bei Menschen wie bei Tieren beruht die Weitergabe von Kultur auf sozialem Lernen. Vier Arten geben Einblicke in die Kulturvermittlung im Tierreich: Kohlmeisen und Grünmeerkatzen lernen die Tricks der ...
www.arte.tv
May 5, 2025 at 2:52 PM
For German and French speakers interested in animal culture, this doco will be well worth 43 mins of your time. For everyone else, great tits solving puzzle boxes speak for themselves 🐦🧩🧠@lucymaplin.bsky.social @mchimento.bsky.social
www.arte.tv/de/videos/11...
www.arte.tv/de/videos/11...
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
The UCSD backstory podcast interviews me about doing applied methods work in development, whether there are private returns from producing public goods, how to select research problems, what a grad student could do in their second year summer, and more... open.spotify.com/episode/2i70...
Backstory: David McKenzie on Problem Selection and Public Goods Creation
Backstory: How Research Papers in Economics Get Made · Episode
open.spotify.com
April 7, 2025 at 11:58 PM
The UCSD backstory podcast interviews me about doing applied methods work in development, whether there are private returns from producing public goods, how to select research problems, what a grad student could do in their second year summer, and more... open.spotify.com/episode/2i70...
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
Pleased to see our work published:
The Ties That Bind: Computational, Cross-cultural Analyses of Knots Reveal Their Cultural Evolutionary History and Significance
We analysed knots across 12,000 years and 82 societies.
Time to tie a thread 🧵 about why knots matter.
doi.org/10.1017/S095...
The Ties That Bind: Computational, Cross-cultural Analyses of Knots Reveal Their Cultural Evolutionary History and Significance
We analysed knots across 12,000 years and 82 societies.
Time to tie a thread 🧵 about why knots matter.
doi.org/10.1017/S095...
March 13, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Pleased to see our work published:
The Ties That Bind: Computational, Cross-cultural Analyses of Knots Reveal Their Cultural Evolutionary History and Significance
We analysed knots across 12,000 years and 82 societies.
Time to tie a thread 🧵 about why knots matter.
doi.org/10.1017/S095...
The Ties That Bind: Computational, Cross-cultural Analyses of Knots Reveal Their Cultural Evolutionary History and Significance
We analysed knots across 12,000 years and 82 societies.
Time to tie a thread 🧵 about why knots matter.
doi.org/10.1017/S095...
Reposted by Toman Barsbai
Over a century ago, 1.2 million Greek Orthodox refugees reshaped Greece. While initially lagging, they outperformed natives in education, favoring transferable degrees over local fields, from Michalopoulos, Murard, Papaioannou, and Sakalli https://www.nber.org/papers/w33586
March 24, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Over a century ago, 1.2 million Greek Orthodox refugees reshaped Greece. While initially lagging, they outperformed natives in education, favoring transferable degrees over local fields, from Michalopoulos, Murard, Papaioannou, and Sakalli https://www.nber.org/papers/w33586