mara.squicciarini at unibocconi.it
MARA P. SQUICCIARINI
I am an Associate Professor at Bocconi University, Department of Economics. During the academic year 2022-23, I am visiting Harvard University.
I am also a Research Fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) and Cesifo, and Research Affiliate at the Innocenzo Gasparini Institute for Economic Research (IGIER), Dondena, LEAP, and LICOS.
I was recently awarded an ERC starting grant on the topic "Education, Diversity, Innovation, and Politics."
Research Interests:
Economic History, Economic Growth and Development, Applied Microeconomics

RESEARCH
PUBLICATIONS
Economic History, Political Economy, and Development:
"Birth and Migration of Scientists: Does Religiosity Matter? Evidence from 19th-Century France" (with L. Ogliari and G. Lecce). Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization 2021, 187: 274-28
“Devotion and Development: Religiosity, Education, and Economic Progress in 19th-century France” American Economic Review, 2020, 110(11): 3454-3491 (Online Appendix) (Data: AEA openICPSR Repository)
--> Winner of the Young Italian Economist Award
--> Featured in AEA Research Highlights, Le Monde, Voxeu
“Human Capital and Industrialization: Evidence from the Age of Enlightenment” (with N. Voigtländer). Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2015, 30(4): 1825-83. (Online Appendix) (Dataset and Stata Code)
--> Featured in Science, The Economist, Financial Times, Voxeu, Harvard Business Review
Food Policy and Migration:
“Supply Chains and Economic Development: Insights from the Indian Dairy Sector” (with E. Janssen, J. Swinnen, and A. Vandeplas). Food Policy, 2017, 68: 128-142.
“Governance Quality and Net Migration Flows” (with A. Ariu and F. Docquier). Regional Science and Urban Economics, 2016, 60: 238–248.
“Food Price Shocks and the Political Economy of Global Agricultural and Development Policy” (with A. Guariso and J. Swinnen). Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 2014, 36(3): 387-415.
--> Winner of the Outstanding Journal Article Award.
“Global hunger: Food crisis spurs aid for poverty” (with A. Guariso and J. Swinnen). Nature (correspondence), 2013, 501 (7468): 492.
“The Balance of Brains: Corruption and High Skilled Migration” (with A. Ariu). EMBO Reports, 2013, 14: 502-504.
“Mixed Messages on Prices and Food Security” (with J. Swinnen). Science, 2012, 335(6067): 405- 406.
“The Food Crisis, Mass Media and the Political Economy of Policy Analysis and Communication” (with J. Swinnen and T. Vandemoortele). European Review of Agricultural Economics, 2011, 38(3): 409-426.
EDITED BOOK
The Economics of Chocolate (with J. Swinnen). Oxford University Press, 2016.
WORKING PAPERS
“Technology Adoption and Productivity Growth: Evidence from Industrialisation in France” (with R. Juhász and N. Voigtländer) CEPR DP 14970 and NBER WP 27503. Revisions requested by Journal of Political Economy
--> Featured in Voxeu, UCLA Anderson Review
"The Spatial Drivers of Discrimination: Evidence From Anti-Muslim Fake News in India" (with S. Abraham, G. Lanzara, S. Lazzaroni, and P. Masella) Revisions requested by Journal of Urban Economics
"Dealing with Adversity: Religiosity or Science? Evidence from the Great Influenza Pandemic" (with E. Berkes, D. Coluccia, and G.G. Dossi) CEPR Discussion Paper 18008
"The Legacy of Feudalism and Sicilian Low Social Capital" (with C. Alfonzo) -- new draft coming soon
"Do Bishops Matter for Politics? Evidence From Italy" (with G. Lanzara, S. Lazzaroni, and P. Masella)
"The Dynamics of Discrimination and Assimilation: Theory and Evidence" (with G. Lanzara, S. Lazzaroni, and P. Masella) --- coming soon
“Away from Home and Back: Coordinating (Remote) Workers in 1800 and 2020” (with R. Juhász and N. Voigtländer) CEPR DP 15578 and NBER WP 28251
“Knowledge Elites and Modernization: Evidence from Revolutionary France” (with N. Voigtländer). NBER WP 22779
TEACHING
Bocconi University
20616 - Economics and Politics (2018-19 / 2019-20)
30313 - Economics of Institutions and Culture (2017-18 / 2018-19 /2019-20 /2020-21)
30466 - Culture, Institutions, and Development (2019-20 / 2020-21)
30065 - Microeconomia (2017-18)