On 20 May 2025, Professor Carol Newman, Chair of Economics at Trinity College Dublin, delivered her inaugural lecture to a full house at Trinity College Dublin’s Robert Emmet Theatre.
Entitled "Against the Headwinds: Evidence-Based Development in a Turbulent World", the lecture confronted the rising challenges facing global development, including escalating geopolitical tensions and climate shocks to diminishing aid flows. In her Lecture, Professor Newman advanced a compelling argument for the centrality of rigorous empirical research in shaping more effective and resilient development policy.
Drawing on more than two decades of field-based research, she presented a series of studies across sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. These included randomised controlled trials addressing malnutrition and aspirations among women living with HIV in Uganda, support for refugees and host communities in Niger, and strategies for fostering collective action for climate resilience in Senegal.
"These studies show us not only what works," she noted, "but also expose surprising and unintended effects, underscoring the importance of context, risk mitigation, and social cohesion in the design of development programmes."
Shifting from micro-level insights to structural economic analysis, Professor Newman also addressed broader questions around productivity, firm dynamics and employment. She reflected on her work with the Learning to Compete initiative and the SA-TIED programme in South Africa, emphasising the importance of promoting private sector development and inclusive labour markets. Her lecture called for a greater integration of research and policymaking, arguing that without such alignment, development goals risk remaining out of reach.
Professor Newman used the occasion to reflect on her academic journey and those who have shaped it. "Delivering this lecture allowed me to take a step back and consider how my work has evolved and the questions that have guided it. It also gave me the opportunity to acknowledge those who have supported me throughout: my mentors, co-authors, colleagues and students."
She paid special tribute to family, friends and members of the Trinity community who attended the lecture, including the Provost, the Dean of Research, and the Dean of the Faculty. "I am proud to be part of a university community that values rigorous, engaged scholarship. Overall, to me, the event was a reminder of the power of the academic community, its collegiality, its shared commitment to learning, and its ability to bring people together across generations and disciplines to contribute to knowledge that can shape a better world."
Appointed Chair of Economics at Trinity in 2024, Professor Newman is internationally recognised for her contributions to development economics, particularly in the areas of firm behaviour, structural transformation, and inclusive growth.
The lecture was followed by a reception in the Senior Common Room, where Professor Newman celebrated the occasion with students, colleagues, friends and family.
Please click here to visit the Faculty of AHSS Inaugural Lectures webpage to view the brochure, photos and full lecture video of Professor Newman’s lecture.
Image from left to right: Professor Paul O’Grady, Head of School, School of Social Sciences and Philosophy; Dr Linda Doyle, Provost of Trinity College Dublin; Professor Carol Newman, Professor of Economics, School of Social Sciences and Philosophy; Dr Agustin Benetrix, Head of Department of Economics, School of Social Sciences and Philosophy; and Professor Carmel O'Sullivan, Dean of Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.