Stanford Scholar Saumitra Jha Named Falling Walls Finalist
India-West News Desk
PALO ALTO, CA – Saumitra Jha, an associate professor of political economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, has been named a finalist for the 2026 Social Sciences & Humanities category of the Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year for his work on “Breaking through the Ethnic Growth Trap.”
Stanford GSB noted the recognition in a post on X, stating: “Congratulations to Saumitra Jha (@saumjha) … on being selected as a finalist for the Social Science Breakthrough of the Year for his work on ‘Breaking through the Ethnic Growth Trap’ by the @Falling_Walls Foundation.”
Jha’s research examines why many ethnically divided societies continue to face persistent poverty and conflict. He describes this dynamic as an “ethnic growth trap,” where political divisions and low investment reinforce each other over time, limiting development.
A senior fellow at the Freeman-Spogli Institute for International Studies and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, Jha also convenes Stanford’s Conflict and Polarization Lab, where he studies ways to reduce political violence and polarization.
Drawing on historical analysis as well as contemporary field research, his work points to approaches such as inter-ethnic business collaboration, financial linkages across communities, and institutional mechanisms that can help promote stability and economic growth.
Much of Jha’s research focuses on South Asia, while also including comparative work on other regions undergoing political and economic transitions.
He has published in leading journals in economics and political science and serves on editorial boards including the ‘American Political Science Review’ and the ‘Journal of Development Economics’. He was also named Teacher of the Year by Stanford GSB’s Sloan/MSx program.
The Falling Walls Foundation is expected to begin announcing category winners later this month, with final recognitions to be made during the Berlin summit from November 6–9, where winners across categories will be announced in stages.
