Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Simon Burgess

@profsimonb.bsky.social

630 followers 330 following 14 posts

Researching pupils, teachers and schools. Professor of Economics, University of Bristol. FBA. Views my own.

Videos

Economics 36%

Education 30%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Richard S.J. Tol, Simon Burgess , and 6 more Joanna Bryson, Richard S.J. Tol, Simon Burgess, Alistair Munro, Rafael H. M. Pereira, Paul Lehmann, Kris Inwood, Shelly Lundberg, David Darmofal

Florian Ederer @florianederer.bsky.social · Sep 3

We usually rely on GDP, trade, or wages to study the past. This amazing paper flips the script.

It analyzes 630,000 paintings (1400-2000) to extract emotions and shows how art tracks living standards, wars, inequality, and even climate shocks.

(How is this economics? Everything is economics!)

4 31 98

Simon Burgess @profsimonb.bsky.social · Aug 22

Go on … switch it … what could possibly go wrong ??? (Note that I disclaim any responsibility)

Reposted by Simon Burgess

Álvaro La Parra-Pérez @alvarolaparra.bsky.social · Nov 22

In one of the most US-academic move ever, he’s wearing sneakers. Institutions matter.

Ivan Werning @ivanwerning.bsky.social · Nov 21

A great party at MIT to not forget…

Celebrating Daron Acemoglu and his Nobel award!

Happy new in the room was brimming.

1 7

Reposted by Simon Burgess

Matt Collin @mattcollin.bsky.social · Nov 25

Evidence that some media has the opposite effect on kids than detractors often assert:

In the UK, when digital TV rolled out, disadvantaged kids spent more time at home watching TV (seems bad) but also less time hanging out with antisocial peers (actually good)

academic.oup.com/ej/advance-a...

15 37

Reposted by Stephen P. Jenkins, Ludger Woessmann, Simon Burgess , and 3 more Stephen P. Jenkins, Ludger Woessmann, Simon Burgess, Todd Pugatch, Simon Wiederhold, Steffen Altmann

Henning Hermes @henninghermes.com · Jul 16

We are looking for a postdoc to work on exciting RCTs circling around scaling up mentoring interventions, starting in July 2026 💪🏻🚀

Amazing team at @ifoeducation.bsky.social & the perfect place to thrive with ifo, @cesifo.org + @econmunich.bsky.social 🫶🏻🌟

Please share widely 🙏🙏

Link below 👇

1 14 26

Reposted by Simon Burgess

Hans Henrik Sievertsen @hhsievertsen.bsky.social · Jun 9

Our paper made it to TikTok!

lnkd.in/e5U3ECp9

#econsky

2 1 21

Reposted by Simon Burgess

Joshua Goodman @joshua-goodman.com · Jun 4

Proud to have named this new seminar series designed to help education researchers navigate the new landscape we're in.

I hope the name conveys the optimism that there is a destination worth reaching on the other side of this.

Sign-up here for the first session: aefpweb.org/ev_calendar_...

4 7 25

Reposted by Simon Burgess

Prof Dynarski @dynarski.bsky.social · Jun 3

The Harvard Graduate School of Education started a small online master's program for education leaders during COVID

It has been a great success

Now we are launching an online program for *international* education leaders

Apps due in early July

www.gse.harvard.edu/degrees/mast...

3 18

Reposted by Simon Burgess, Matthias Doepke, Gabriella Conti

The Institute for Fiscal Studies @theifs.bsky.social · May 22

NEW: Sure Start generated widespread, long-lasting benefits for children in education, health, absences, and SEND.

Every £1 of up-front spending on Sure Start could generate around £2 in total benefits over the long run.

THREAD on our new ‪@nuffieldfoundation.org‬-funded report:

[1/11]

Chart shows the effects of Sure Start on academic achievements by age, SEN support by age, probability of hospitalisation by age and criminal behaviour up to age 16.

4 120 200

Reposted by Simon Burgess

Paul Hufe @paulhufe.net · May 8

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!

1 5 12

Reposted by Simon Burgess

Eleonora Guarnieri @eleonoraguarnieri.bsky.social · May 6

@saralowes.bsky.social delivers a keynote lecture on "Culture and Development Policy" discussing how culture shapes incentives, persists and evolves, and documenting cultural mismatches between policymakers and target populations

1 2 3

Reposted by Simon Burgess, Climent Quintana‐Domeque

Eleonora Guarnieri @eleonoraguarnieri.bsky.social · May 6

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!

1 8 31

Reposted by Simon Burgess

Romesh Vaitilingam @econromesh.bsky.social · May 5

New funding & immigration schemes to attract top scientific talent from abroad to EU universities would have a measurable impact on European innovation over a 5-year horizon - 87% of top European economists agree @kentclarkcenter.bsky.social

#ChooseEurope

www.kentclarkcenter.org/filterable-c...

America’s Loss, Europe’s Gain? - Clark Center Forum

American science may be under threat. Last week the Financial Times looked at the potential impacts of the Trump administration’s cuts to science funding. As the FT reported: Last month, almost 2,000 ...

www.kentclarkcenter.org

4 1

Reposted by Simon Burgess

John Holbein @johnholbein1.bsky.social · May 4

"ChatGPT as Economics Tutor: Capabilities and Limitations"

econpapers.repec.org/paper/briuob...

2 6 26

Reposted by Simon Burgess

Lindsey Macmillan @lindseymacmillan.bsky.social · Mar 27

This lunchtime

Lindsey Macmillan @lindseymacmillan.bsky.social · Mar 25

If you want to hear more about our recent @nuffieldfoundation.org funded research on inequalities in access to professional occupations, join us at LSE on Thurs where I will present our work - joint with @clairetyler.bsky.social and Catherine Dilnot

lsesocialpolicy.bsky.social @lsesocialpolicy.bsky.social · Mar 25

📣 @lindseymacmillan.bsky.social will explore ‘Inequalities in Applications and Offers to Graduate Recruitment Programmes‘ in our next Department seminar.

📆 Thursday 27 March, 1.00pm – 2.30pm

➡️ buff.ly/RawGEJC

2 2

Reposted by Simon Burgess

Lindsey Macmillan @lindseymacmillan.bsky.social · Mar 25

lsesocialpolicy.bsky.social @lsesocialpolicy.bsky.social · Mar 25

2 10

Reposted by Simon Burgess

Reposted by Simon Burgess, Toby Seddon

Lindsey Macmillan @lindseymacmillan.bsky.social · Mar 5

Out tomorrow: our @nuffieldfoundation.org report "Inequalities in Access to Professional Occupations" @clairetyler.bsky.social & Catherine Dilnot

Why are working class & ethnic minority young people underrepresented in professional jobs? Do they not apply? OR do they apply, but just not get hired?

3 9 25

Reposted by Simon Burgess

Reposted by Axel Dreher, Simon Burgess, Mariapia Mendola

Toman Barsbai @tomanbarsbai.com · Jan 17

Keep your papers coming and join us for the Bristol Applied Economics Meeting (BÆM) on Development Economics, May 6-7!

📢 Invited talks by the brilliant @saralowes.bsky.social, Devesh Rustagi & @deanyang.bsky.social

📅 Submission deadline: Feb 28.
Details here👉http://baem.info

13 19

Reposted by Simon Burgess

Reposted by Simon Burgess, Luis Samaniego, David Tovey , and 5 more Simon Burgess, Luis Samaniego, David Tovey, Juan-Camilo Cárdenas, Liz Kelly, Julian Go, Michael S. Dahl, Achim Kemmerling

Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · Jan 17

Air pollution has dropped significantly in #Paris in the last 15 years. Mayor @annehidalgo.bsky.social’s leadership has traded car space for green space, safe bike space, kid space.. and traded pollution for people.

Good trade.

Change in Paris air quality between 2007 and 2023 using visuals

170 3.6K 15K

Simon Burgess @profsimonb.bsky.social · Jan 13

This is joint work with Eric Taylor (Harvard) and Shenila Rawal (OPERA) and provides RCT evidence on the effectiveness of teacher peer observation.

One key finding is that the pupils of the ^observing^ teachers gain more than the pupils of the ^observed^ pupils.

3 6

Simon Burgess @profsimonb.bsky.social · Jan 13

Very pleased to be cited in the just-published Economic Report of the President 2025: www.whitehouse.gov/cea/written-..., in the section on maximising educators’ potential.

The 2025 Economic Report of the President | CEA | The White House

Today, the Council of Economic Advisers under the leadership of Chair Jared Bernstein released the 2025 Economic Report of the President, the 79th report since the establishment of CEA in 1946. The 20...

www.whitehouse.gov

1 5

Reposted by Simon Burgess

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · Jan 8

Also true of Banglasheshi students who now outperform White British students at GCSE despite having significantly lower average incomes.

6 58

Reposted by Simon Burgess

Gabriel Milland @gabrielmilland.bsky.social · Jan 8

British-Pakistanis are upwardly mobile. They go to university at a very high rate. They may be socially quite conservative. Many run small businesses. They're increasingly suspicious of Labour.

But now they know the Tories think it would have been better if they had never come.

6 27 140

Reposted by Simon Burgess

Nuffield Foundation @nuffieldfoundation.org · Jan 8

The latest #NuffieldFunded annual report on education spending in England from @theifs.bsky.social delivers independent analysis of the winners & losers.
Key insights include:
📉 A continued spending squeeze for schools & colleges
📈 Some gains for the under-5s
Read it here:
ow.ly/9qVA50UBKB4

Image of Education Director Josh Hillman and the words - The IFS’s analysis outlines the complex web of factors influencing the government’s decision-making on funding for the early years, school pupils, and further and higher education students.

2 4