Daron Acemoglu is an esteemed economist and author, currently serving as the Killian Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His main areas of research include political economy, economic development and growth, network economics, human capital and technological innovation. Much of his work studies the political, economic and social origins of the differences in economic development across societies. He has also explored the institutional and political evolution of nations and the role that technology plays in shaping economic growth. Acemoglu’s track-record of addressing conventional economic principles in a highly original and astute fashion makes him one of the best regarded thought leaders in the field.

Acemoglu is probably best known for his book - Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty (co-authored with James Robinson), which made the New York Times Bestseller List in 2012. His other books include: Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy (also with James Robinson), which was awarded the Woodrow Wilson and the William Riker prizes, Introduction to Modern Economic Growth and Principles of Economics (co-authored with David Laibson and John List) and The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty (with James Robinson).