At a talk hosted by the King Center on Global Development, Professor Michael Callen will share his experience conducting fieldwork in fragile states, during moments of extreme political uncertainty, and working with vulnerable populations. He will also describe more recent work that uses a new framework and AI to assess institutional uncertainty globally and throughout history. Drawing on these experiences, Professor Callen will offer insights and practical recommendations for PhD students on how to approach field research in complex and unpredictable settings. 

About the speaker:

Michael Callen serves as co-director of the State Capabilities Program and the lead academic for the Fragile States Initiative at the International Growth Centre. He is an Associate Professor at the London School of Economics, Scientific Director for Inclusion Economics – Nepal, a research associate at the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), a board member at the Association for Comparative Economic Studies (ACES) and a Noosheen Hashemi Visiting Fellow at the King Center.