El-Erian Institute of Behavioural Economics and Policy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The El-Erian Institute of Behavioural Economics and Policy (EEI) is a research institute based at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School. It was set up to develop understanding of human behaviour and decision-making, particularly in the context of public policy, sustainability, and societal well-being.[citation needed]
The institute provides resources and mentoring for interdisciplinary research, drawing on expertise from behavioural economics, psychology, neuroscience, and related fields.[citation needed]
The Institute was established through a donation by Mohamed El-Erian, a University of Cambridge alumnus, economist and author, in 2015. The endowment supports both the University and Queens’ College, Cambridge, where he was formerly president.[1]
In May 2022, the institute was reassigned from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Politics and International Studies to the Cambridge Judge Business School.[2][3]
Governance and people
The EEI is led by Professor Lucia Reisch, the inaugural El-Erian Professor of Behavioural Economics and Policy.
The research team includes senior and postdoctoral researchers, visiting scholars, and professional staff. The institute collaborates closely with other departments and centres across the University of Cambridge and internationally.
Honorary Fellows of the EEI include Economics Nobel Laureate Michael Spence; American legal scholar and Harvard Law School professor Cass Sunstein; University of Cambridge Behaviour and Health Research Unit director Dame Theresa Marteau; David Halpern, who founded the Behavioural Insights Team (unofficially known as Nudge Unit) under the UK Cabinet Office; and Reid Hoffman, venture capitalist and co-founder of LinkedIn.[4]
Research
The EEI conducts and collaborates on research in the following areas:
- Behavioural economics: methods and concepts
- Food, health and well-being[7][8]
- Behavioural interventions for sustainable consumption[9]
- Behavioural public policy[10][11]
- Sustainable business models and organisations
The research centre runs a range of academic activities, including collaborative research projects, visiting fellowships, and public engagement events. The institute also provides a platform for dialogue between academia, policymakers, and industry.[12]
On 3 February 2026, the EEI announced a new area of research around how to better apply behavioural techniques to biodiversity conservation, as well as the publication of an article on the topic in the Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR), co-authored by Professor Lucia Reisch.[13]
Collaborations
The EEI regularly organises and hosts events for Behavioural Public Policy academics and practitioners[14], such as the LSE-Cambridge IBPP Workshops[15], in partnership with the London School of Economics’ Association of Behavioural Public Policy, and other organisations such as the OECD Directorates for Public Governance[16].
