Mauricio Espinoza is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Ibero-American Institute for Economic Research at the University of Göttingen. He is also an Adjunct Researcher at the Group for the Analysis of Development (GRADE) in Peru.



He holds a PhD in Development Economics from Wageningen University & Research, with a dissertation entitled Landed Elites, Redistribution’s Pitfalls, and Barriers to Development in Peru. He also holds a Master's degree in Agriculture, Environment and Regional Economics from Pennsylvania State University and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.



His research lies in development and agricultural economics, with a particular interest in inequality and the political economy of development. His empirical work examines how inequality, institutions, and public policies shape economic development, drawing on microdata and applied econometric methods. His work ranges from long-run historical analysis to the evaluation of contemporary policies and programs.



Mauricio has extensive experience in research and policy projects in Latin America, with additional work in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. He has collaborated with international organizations and universities, including the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the University of Chicago. His research has been published in leading international journals, including the Journal of Development Economics and Economic Development and Cultural Change.