top of page
Jean-Francois Maystadt
Jean-Francois Maystadt
Research Associate Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique - FNRS
Professor at Economic School of Louvain, UCLouvain
Senior Lecturer at Lancaster University
Invited lecturer at Sciences Po (The Economics of Conflict)
Development Economics, Environmental Economics, Economic Geography, Political Economy, Global Health
I am a development economist specialized in the study of Conflicts, Climate Change and Migration. My current research is related to the causes and consequences of conflicts and forced migration mainly in developing countries.
I obtained a PhD in Economics from the Universite catholique de Louvain (UCL, Belgium) under the supervision of Jacques Thisse in 2010. During my PhD, I was a research fellow at the Center for Operational Research and Econometrics (CORE). I then held research positions at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI, Washington DC, 2010-2014) and Center for Institutions and Economic Performance (LICOS, 2012-2014) at KU Leuven and the Institute of Development Policy (IOB) at the University of Antwerp (2018-2020). I hold a fractional appointment at Lancaster University where I was working full time between August 2014 and August 2018. From September 2024, I am invited to give lectures on the Economics of Conflict with Mathieu Couttenier (ENS-Lyon).
Works in progress
Temporary Border Controls and the Stock Market: Evidence from the Schengen Area
With Adam Levai
Road to Sustainable Development in SSA
NEW Project with Luisito Bertinelli (PDR-WEAVE, jointly supported by FNRS and FNR)
The Political Use of Drones
with M. Alfano, M. Clarr, and J. Marques Pereira
The impact of giving working rights to refugees on their hosts in Jordan.
With J. Bousquet
The Impact of Foreign Media on Political Mobilization during the Arab Spring
With L. Angelini, L. Bertinelli, and R. Comertpay
Publications
29 peer-reviewed international publications since 2012
Google scholar (12/11/2024): 3511 citations; H-index: 24
L. Bertinelli, R. Cömertpay, J-F Maystadt. 2025. Ethnic diversity and conflict in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from refugee-hosting areas, Journal of Development Economics, 172, 103393.
A. Al-Malk, J-F Maystadt and M Navarro Paniagua. International migration, Remittances and remaining
households : Evidence from a trade embargo. Journal of Demographic Economics, forthcoming
A. Al-Malk, J-F Maystadt, M Zanardi. The gravity of distance: Evidence from a trade embargo. Journal of Economic Geography, forthcoming
Oymak and Maystadt (2024) Can refugees improve native children’s health? Evidence from Turkey. Journal of
Demographic Economics , forthcoming
El-Enbaby, Hollingsworth, Maystadt and Singhal (2024) Cash transfers and mental health in Egypt. Economics and Human Biology 54: 101396
Maystadt, Mishra, Mueller and Smoldt (2024) The Causes and Policy Responses to Forced Migration and Environmental Degradation in Africa. Annual Review of Resource Economics forthcoming
Ecker, Al-Malk, and Maystadt (2024) Can unconditional cash transfers mitigate the impact of civil conflict on acute child malnutrition Yemen? Economic Development and Cultural Change, 72(4): 1567-2100.
Beshir and Maystadt (2024) Price shocks and human capital: Timing matters. Economic Development and Cultural Change 72(4)
Kadigo and Maystadt (2023) How to cope with a Refugee Shock? Evidence from Uganda. World Development 169, 106293.
Hao, Ding, Xie, Fu, Qian, Ide, Maystadt, Chen, Ge and Jiang (2022) Varying climatic-social-geographical patterns shape the conflict risk at regional and global scales. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 9, 276.
Maystadt and Migali (2021) The intergenerational transmission of health across 7 generations: Evidence from
China, 1789-1906. Journal of Health Economics 79(15): 102493.
Stoop, Hirvonen and Maystadt (2021) Institutional mistrust and child vaccination coverage in Africa. BMJ Global Health, 6 (4): 1-9.
Beine, Bertinelli, Comertpay, Litina, and Maystadt (2021) A gravity analysis of refuge mobility using mobile phone data. Journal of Development Economics 150: 102618.
Mach, Adger, Buhaug, Burke, Fearon, Field, Hendrix, Kraan, Maystadt, O’Loughin, Roessler, Schreffan, Schultz, and von Uexkull (2020) Directions for Research on Climate and Conflict. Earth's Future 8(7): 3-7.
Maystadt, Mueller, Van Den Hoek and van Weezel (2020) Vegetation changes attributable to refugees in Africa coincide with agricultural deforestation. Environmental Research Letters 15(4): 044008.
Beshir and Maystadt (2020) In utero seasonal food insecurity and cognitive development: Evidence on gender imbalances from Ethiopia. Journal of African Economies 29(4): 412-431.
Mach, Kraan, Adger, Buhaug, Burke, Fearon, Field, Hendrix, Maystadt, O’Loughin, Roessler, Scheffran,Schultz and von Uexkull (2019) Climate as a risk factor for armed conflict. NATURE 571: 193-197.
Dagnelie, Mayda and Maystadt (2019) Labor market integration of refugees to the U.S.: Do entrepreneurs in the network help? European Economic Review, 111, 257-272.
Maystadt, Hirvonen, Mabiso, and Vandercasteelen (2019) Impacts of Hosting Forced Migrants in Poor Countries. Annual Review of Resource Economics, 11, 439-459.
Maystadt and Duranton (2019) The Development Push of Refugees: Evidence from Tanzania. Journal of Economic Geography, 19(2), 299-334.
Maystadt and Salihu (2019) The political economy of intergovernmental transfers: Evidence from Nigeria. Journal of Economic Geography, 19(5), 1119-1142.
Dagnelie, De Luca and Maystadt (2018) Violence, Selection and Infant Mortality in Congo. Journal of Health Economics, 59, 153-177.
Jiliang and Maystadt (2017) The impact of weather variations on maize yields and household income: Income diversification as adaptation in rural China. Global Environmental Change, 42, 93-106.
Marchiori, Maystadt and Schumacher (2017) Is climate-induced income variability a driver of migration? A macro-economic perspective. Migration & Development, 6(1), 33-59.
Maystadt, Mueller and Sebastian (2016) Environmental Migration and labor markets in Nepal. Journal of the Association of Resource and Environmental Economists, 3(2), 417-452.
Maystadt, Calderone and You (2015) Local Warming and Violent Conflict in North and South Sudan. Journal of Economic Geography 15, 649-671.
Maystadt and Ecker (2014) Extreme Weather and Civil War: Does Drought Fuel Conflict in Somalia through Livestock Price Shocks? American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 96(4), 1157-1182.
Maystadt, De Luca, Sekeris and Ulimwengu (2014) Mineral resources and conflicts in the DRC: A case of Ecological Fallacy. Oxford Economic Papers, 66, 721-749.
Maystadt, Trinh Tan and Breisinger (2014) Does Food Security Matter for Transition in Arab Countries. Food Policy, 46, 106-115.
Maystadt and Verwimp (2014) Winners and Losers Among a Refugee-Hosting Population. Economic Development and Cultural Change, 62(4), 769-809.
Marchiori, Maystadt and Schumacher (2012) Weather Variations and Migration in Sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 63(3),355-374.
Other publications
Book, book chapters, policy briefs, ...
Hernandez, M., O. Ecker, P. Laderach, and JF Maystadt. 2023. Forced Migration : Fragility, Resilience, and Policy Responses. Chapter 7 in International Food Policy Research Institute. 2023. 2023 Global Food Policy Report: Rethinking Food Crisis Responses. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.
Guichard, L., J. Machado and J.-F. Maystadt. 2022. The Location of Asylum Seekers in Europe Before and After Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine. CESifo Forum 23 (4): 21-27.
Guichard, L., J. Machado and J.-F. Maystadt. 2022. Refugees ukrainiens : un besoin de coordination renforce. Regards Economiques 170, April 2022.
Guichard, L., J. Machado and J.-F. Maystadt. 2022. The Ukrainian Exodus Calls for Better Coordination in the European Asylum Policy. LISER Policy Brief 04, April 2022.
Beine, M., L. Bertinelli, R. Comertpay, A. Litina, and J.-F Maystadt. 2019. Refugee mobility. Evidence from Phone Data in Turkey. In A.A. Salah, A. Pentland, B. Lepri, and E. Letouzé. (Eds) Guide to Mobile Data Analytics in refugee Scenarios. Springer. pages 433-449.
Maystadt, J.-F. and C. Breisinger. 2015. The EU refugee crisis: the tip of a global iceberg. IFPRI Policy Brief, forthcoming. (peer-reviewed)
Calderone, M., D. Headey, and J.-F. Maystadt. 2014. “Resilience to Climate-Induced Conflict in the Horn of Africa.” (chapter 8) In Resilience for Food and Nutrition Security, edited by S. Fan, R. Pandya-Lorch, and S. Yosef, 65-73. Washington, DC: IFPRI (peer-reviewed)
Mabiso, A., J.-F. Maystadt, J. Vandercasteelen, and K. Hirvonen. 2014. “Resilience for Food Security in Refugee-Hosting Communities” In Resilience for Food and Nutrition Security, edited by S. Fan, R. Pandya-Lorch, and S. Yosef, 45-52. Washington, DC: IFPRI. (peer-reviewed)
Breisinger, C., O. Ecker, J.-F. Maystadt, J.-F. Trinh Tan, P. Al-Riffai, K. Bouzar, A. Sma, and M. Abdelgadir. 2014. (chapter 2)“Food Security Policies for Building Resilience to Conflict” In Resilience for Food and Nutrition Security, edited by S. Fan, R. Pandya-Lorch, and S. Yosef, 37-44. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. (peer-reviewed)
Breisinger, C., O. Ecker, J.-F. Maystadt, J.-F. Trinh Tan, P. Al-Riffai, K. Bouzar, A. Sma, and M. Abdelgadir. 2014. How to Build Resilience to Conflict. The Role of Food Security. IFPRI Monograph. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. (peer-reviewed)
Naudé, N., J.-F. Maystadt, A. de Brauw, R. Lucas, F. Gubert, F. Wouterse, H. de Haas (2013) The development potential of migration. WCAO Thematic Research Note 04. April 2013.
Maystadt, J.-F. and V. Mueller. 2012. Environmental Migrants : A Myth ? IFPRI Research Brief 18.
Maystadt J.-F. 2004. Micro-finance au Nord: Un effet de mode importé du Sud ? Mondes en Développement 32(126), 69-82. (peer-reviewed)
Maystadt J.-F. 2004 La Micro-finance peut-elle fonctionner au Nord ? Apprentissage Sud-Nord, ed. Luc Pire, 175 pages. (Book)
Contact Details
Collège L. H. Dupriez,
3 Place Montesquieu, Box L2.06.01
B- 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgique)
bottom of page