Growth Academy

The Growth Academy is a transformative summer school designed for researchers and policymakers from middle-income countries grappling with the challenge of delivering sustained economic growth. It is organized by the University of Chicago, and the World Bank Group Institute for Economic Development.

Structured around the key themes of the World Development Report 2024: The Middle-Income Trap, the Growth Academy brings participants together with leading global experts, in an interactive, collegial setting, to explore evidence-based approaches to policy actions on economic growth and productivity.

Participants are equipped with the insights, strategies, and practical tools needed to shape bold, context-specific reform agendas for their countries. Focused on three core areas—enterprise dynamism, talent allocation, and energy efficiency—the program explores how these issues intersect with the potential building blocks that can lead to escaping the middle-income trap.

Register to join us from July 27 to August 5, 2026, in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, USA. Please note that you will be asked to upload a one-page statement of interest and your CV.