I am a PhD Candidate at IRES/LIDAM, UCLouvain.

My current research interests are economic history, human capital, high-skill migration, and long-term growth.

I visited Northwestern University during Winter and Spring 2024.

I am on the Academic Job Market 2024-2025. You can find my CV here.

My email address is: chiara.zanardello@uclouvain.be

Job Market Paper

Early Modern Academies, Universities, and Economic Growth

Using a novel micro-level database on Early Modern scholars and educational institutions, I investigate the links between knowledge production and Europe’s economic growth from 1500 to 1800. Micro-level data on scholars’ fields of study reveal that literary academies contribute to an initial decline of population growth rates, an effect that dissipates over time. In contrast, scientific academies drive urban growth 15% faster after 100 years and this effect persists. Additionally, I test the historical evidence about academies fostering universities’ reforms and innovations by showing that scientific academies associate with higher quality of universities in the same cities. Overall, this paper provides the first evidence of the pivotal role scientific academies played in Europe’s economic growth and the modernization of its universities.