JOB TALK: Dr. Prashant Loyalka

JOB TALK

Prashant Loyalka is a Center Research Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and a Faculty Member of the Rural Education Action Program at Stanford University. His research focuses on examining and addressing inequalities in the education of youth. His research agenda is also concerned with understanding and improving the quality of education received by youth in large developing economies, including China, Russia and India. In the course of addressing educational inequalities, Prashant examines the consequences of tracking, financial and informational constraints, and psychological factors of both students and teachers in highly competitive education systems. His work on understanding educational quality is built around research that assesses and compares student learning in higher education, high school and (the later stages of) compulsory schooling. He also evaluates programs/policies that seek to improve student outcomes.

Prashant examines a key question faced by policymakers in developing countries: how can they effectively build human capital to strengthen long-run economic growth? Towards this end, policymakers in a number of developing countries have promoted the mass expansion of vocational education and training (VET). A major goal of this body of his work is to understand whether the expansion of VET has contributed to human capital development in the developing world. In his talk, "The Impact of Vocational Schooling on Human Capital Development in China," Prashant examines the potential causes of the low quality of vocational schooling in China and discusses how government policies (to substantially increase resources per student or introduce vocational teacher certifications) have failed to improve the quality of vocational high schools.

Lunch will be provided; please arrive 10-15 minutes early.