News

At Berkeley, Research Progress Through Conversation and Community

19 May, 2026

As part of the Places You’ll Go series, a new CERGE-EI blog interview features PhD student Winnie Wanjiru Njoroge and her research stay at UC Berkeley, where she immersed herself in seminars, Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) meetings, development economics classes, and discussions with faculty and students.

“There were a lot of activities going on in Berkeley, and sometimes the challenge was choosing what to attend and being okay with missing the rest,” she says.

During her stay, Winnie focused on advancing her job market paper and using the feedback-rich environment to clarify the direction of her research. Presenting her work and discussing it with scholars helped her move beyond uncertainty: “Every conversation moved me forward and created something for the next discussion,” she reflects. “Now I have a much clearer picture of the direction to take.”

The interview also highlights her experience working with renowned development economist Edward Miguel, whose support left a strong impression. Winnie describes him not only as an influential scholar, but also as “an incredibly thoughtful and kind person.” The research stay also brought opportunities to engage with the wider U.S. academic community, including visits to Princeton, Stanford, and UC San Diego.

Beyond academic progress, the stay challenged Winnie to step outside her comfort zone and build confidence in approaching new people. Her advice to CERGE-EI students planning mobility is practical: “I would say go with a drafted paper. It gives people something concrete to comment on.”

Read the full interview in English on the CERGE-EI blog.

Exploring San Francisco. Photo credits: Yaroslav Korobka