Ha-Joon Chang

Ha-Joon Chang is a development economist specializing in institutional economics and development. Chang lectured in economics at the University of Cambridge before becoming a professor of economics at the School of Oriental and African Studies. After graduating from Seoul National University's Department of Economics, he earned an MPhil and a PhD from the University of Cambridge. His early work focused on the theory of industrial policy, which he described as a middle way between central planning and an unrestrained free market. Chang's research is part of the institutionalist political economy approach, emphasizing the role of economic history and socio-political factors in shaping economic practices.

Chang is known for challenging mainstream economic orthodoxy. In the book "Kicking Away the Ladder," he argued that major developed countries used interventionist economic policies to achieve prosperity and later discouraged other nations from adopting similar strategies. This thesis earned recognition from the European Association for Evolutionary Political Economy and the Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought. He continued to explore these themes in "Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism," which received praise from Nobel Prize–winning economist Joseph Stiglitz. In "23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism," Chang presented a comprehensive critique of neo-liberal capitalism.

Chang's work covers a broad range of topics in economic development, including trade and industrial policies, productive capabilities, institutions, the global economic system, and the political economy of development. He has published numerous journal articles, book chapters, 17 authored books, and 11 edited books. His writings have been translated into 45 languages and published in 46 countries, with book sales reaching approximately 2.5 million copies worldwide. In "Edible Economics: A Hungry Economist Explains the World," Chang uses food as a lens to examine global economic forces, making complex economic concepts accessible to a general audience.

Chang has advised international organizations, national governments, civil society organizations, and corporations, including United Nations agencies, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Investment Bank, and Oxfam. He serves as a member of the Committee for Development Policy, the highest advisory body of the United Nations on development issues, and is a member of the International Advisory Panel of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Board of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. Prospect Magazine ranked Chang among the top 10 in its World Thinkers poll. His TED Talks and public lectures have attracted millions of viewers, and his op-eds in The Guardian, Project Syndicate, and Al Jazeera provide accessible economic commentary to a global audience.