I am a Research and Policy Manager at Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) Europe and PhD Fellow at the School of Business and Economics at Maastricht University. I use field experiments to answer socio-economic questions in the Global South. My research focuses on the integration of refugees in Uganda, and complex constraints in land markets. I am also Co-Founder of BOWEN - Bolivian Women in Economics Network.

I was a Robert S. McNamara Fellow at DIME - World Bank in 2021-2022. I have visited the IIES - Stockholm University for several periods between 2018-2022. In the fall semester 2019 I visited the Global Poverty Research Lab at Northwestern University. 

Previously, I worked in Uganda and Tanzania managing impact evaluations for the World Bank & Innovations for Poverty Action. Also, I conducted a research study in the Ivory Coast on an UN-IFAD's program related to ex-combatants reintegration through agriculture. I hold a master's degree in Agricultural Economics/Rural Development from Ghent University & Humboldt University of Berlin and a bachelor in Political Science from Roma Tre University. 

Before all of this academia extravaganza, I worked as: waitress, call center agent, messenger at FAO conferences, photographer at weddings, singer/dancer in musicals in Bolivia, Italy and Uganda. I am Boliviana and naturalized-Italian citizen.

Full CV here and on-going research here 

Supervisors

Dr. Jonathan de Quidt (IIES - Stockholm University)
Dr. Ir. Eleonora Nillesen (UNU-MERIT & Maastricht University)

Contacts

Email: m.silvavargas@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Twitter: Marijo_Silva_V
Instagram: marijo.silva.vargas