Juan Esteban Saavedra

Photo of Juan Saavedra
Associate Economist
Santa Monica Office

Education

Ph.D. in public policy, Harvard University; M.P.A./I.D. in international development, Harvard University; M.A. and B.A. in economics, Universidad de los Andes

Overview

Biography

Juan Esteban Saavedra joined RAND as an associate economist in the Santa Monica office. Previously he was an assistant professor of public policy at Los Andes University's Alberto Lleras Camargo School of Government in Bogotá, Colombia. His research focuses on the economics of education in developing countries, with an emphasis on higher education. He has written about the effects of educational vouchers in Colombia, approaches to measure college value added, and how resources affect educational attainment. His ongoing projects include a meta-analysis of the educational effects of conditional cash transfer programs, research on how college loans impact access and persistence, and an intervention that is designed to improve the financial capabilities of poor urban youth. Saavedra has a Ph.D. in public policy from Harvard University.

Research Focus

Selected Publications

Anna Saavedra, Juan E. Saavedra, "Do Colleges Cultivate Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Writing and Interpersonal Skills?" Economics of Education Review (forthcoming)

Eric Bettinger, Michael Kremer, Juan E. Saavedra, "Are Educational Vouchers Only Redistributive," The Economic Journal, 120(546):F204-F228, 2010

Eric Bettinger, Michael Kremer, Juan E. Saavedra "Education Vouchers in Colombia," in Felipe Barrera-Osorio, Harry Anthony Patrinos, Emerging Evidence on Vouchers and Faith-based Providers in Education: Case Studies from Africa, Latin America and Asia, The World Bank, 2009