As the Obama Administration begins to consider the key issues of U.S. immigration reform this summer, the Center for Global Development (CGD) and the Center for International Development at Harvard University convened a research conference, "Beyond the Fence: Research Lessons on How Immigration and Remittances Shape Global Development," on May 26, 2009 with thought leaders from Harvard University, CGD, the University of Chicago, and the World Bank, among others, to offer groundbreaking insights into the links between migration, remittances and prosperity. They were joined by leading voices from the policy community who offered new perspectives on the politics and possibilities of comprehensive immigration reform in the United States.
Read the full conference statement.
Highlight video from the event
Conference Agenda
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM Welcome
LAWRENCE MACDONALD, Vice President for Communications and Policy Outreach, Center for Global Development
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RICARDO HAUSMANN, Director, Center for International Development at Harvard University
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9:15 AM – 9:45 AM Leveraging Remittances and Migration for Development
DILIP RATHA, World Bank Development Prospects Group
Paper (pdf, 173K)
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9:45 AM – 10:15 AM Immigration is a Development Tool
LANT PRITCHETT, Harvard University
Paper (pdf, 531K)
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10:30 AM – 12:30 PM Pursuing Prosperity: Effects of Migration on Migrants and Families in Developing Economies
Moderator: MICHAEL KREMER, Harvard University
SENDHIL MULLAINATHAN, Harvard University
Financial innovations and savings from remittances
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DEAN YANG, University of Michigan
Effects of greater migrant control over remittances
Paper (pdf, 203K)
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LANT PRITCHETT, Harvard University
The wage gains from immigrating to the United States
Paper (pdf, 558K)
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DAVID MCKENZIE, World Bank Development Research Group
Development effects of guest worker programs
Paper (pdf, 285K)
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Q&A Transcript
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Lunch Speakers: Immigration Reform and the Obama Administration
ALI NOORANI, Executive Director, National Immigration Forum
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ROBERT HILDRETH, CEO, International Bank Services and Founder and Executive Director, Foundation for An Open America
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Q&A Transcript
1:30 PM – 3:30 PM The Big Picture: Macroeconomic Effects of Migration and Remittances in Developing Economies
Moderator: LANT PRITCHETT, Harvard University
JEFF FRANKEL, Harvard University
Remittances and currency integration in Southern Africa
Paper (pdf, 305K)
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ANTONIO SPILIMBERGO, International Monetary Fund Research Department
How foreign students in the U.S. spread democracy abroad
Paper (pdf, 301K)
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MICHAEL CLEMENS, Center for Global Development
Effects of high-skill emigration on education investment at home
Paper (pdf, 566K)
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DEVESH KAPUR, Director, Centre for Advanced Study of India at University of Pennsylvania and Non-Resident Fellow, Center for Global Development
How high-skill emigration shapes technology transfer and political change
Paper (pdf, 217K)
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Q&A Transcript
3:45 PM – 5:45 PM Win-Win Reform: Maximizing the Benefits of Immigration Policy on Both Sides of the Border
Moderator: LAWRENCE MACDONALD, Center for Global Development
PATRICIA CORTES, University of Chicago
Effects of immigration on U.S. prices and labor markets
Paper (pdf, 170K)
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MICHAEL KREMER, Harvard University
Broader effects of immigration on labor markets and labor force participation
Paper (pdf, 593K)
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KATHLEEN NEWLAND, Director, Migration Policy Institute
The role of international development in immigration policy
Paper (pdf, 273K)
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EDWARD SCHUMACHER-MATOS, Harvard University
Temporary worker programs and long-term immigration solutions
Paper (11K)
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Q&A Transcript
5:45 PM Closing Remarks
RICARDO HAUSMANN, Director, Center for International Development at Harvard University
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