Mariaflavia's Mission in Jakarta Is to Convert the Shanty Towns

A Bachelor (2007) and a Master of Science (2009), under the guidance of Guido Tabellini and Eliana La Ferrara, respectively, both in Economic and Social Sciences. Then a PhD at MIT (2016) with Esther Duflo and Ben Olken, with an exchange at New York University. Assistant Professor in Real Estate at Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania since 2015, Mariaflavia Harari, 31, has always known that she would focus on development economics. "It's a sector with a lot of potential, in particular regarding urbanization, which is what I'm working on right now."

Urbanization is currently moving very fast, with institutions and technologies that are very different from the ones used in our part of the world and that produce large imbalances in developing countries. "Right now I'm working on a project in Jakarta, Indonesia, that aims to collect data on slum neighborhoods, which are often not far from very modern skyscrapers in Asian metropolises," explains Mariaflavia. "This is very complex and delicate work, because there is not much data available and there's too much bureaucracy, so you need the right contacts. This is why we get help from local organizations."

The work is very comprehensive, because it aims not only to gather information but also to provide solutions. "We want to understand how the real estate market works in these neighborhoods and find solutions to convert them, while at the same time solving the housing problems of the people currently living there, and protecting their rights," she continues. "It's a difficult task, because residents are skeptical and think that we are there on behalf of the government."

After two years of work, the first research paper will be published, followed by others. "But the project doesn't end here," says Mariaflavia. "After this first stage, we'll try to reconstruct and analyze the historical origins of these neighborhoods."