Stockholm, October 14, 2024: Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James Robinson have been awarded the 2024 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for their influential research on the causes of economic inequality between nations. The trio, representing both the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago, was recognized for their work in analyzing how institutions impact prosperity across countries.
The prize committee highlighted that their research has provided both theoretical and empirical insights into why some nations flourish while others struggle, advancing understanding of global economic disparities. Their findings have shaped policies and discussions around institutional development and economic growth.
This announcement adds to a series of groundbreaking achievements in this year’s Nobel prizes. Earlier recipients include:
- Physiology or Medicine: Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their discovery of microRNA, which plays a key role in cellular development.
- Physics: John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton for advancements that have helped computers learn in a brain-like manner, laying the foundation for artificial intelligence.
- Chemistry: Demis Hassabis and John Jumper for AI-based protein structure prediction, alongside David Baker for inventing new proteins using computer software.
- Literature: Han Kang, the first South Korean Nobel laureate in literature, honored for prose that addresses historical traumas.
- Peace Prize: Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese grassroots organization representing atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, recognized for their decades-long advocacy for nuclear disarmament.
