Catherine Guirkinger

I am a professor of economics in the Center for Research in Economic Development (CRED) at the University of Namur (Belgium). My main field is development economics and my main area of research is the economics of households and extended families, particularly in Africa. Most of my empirical work is based on first hand data I collected (or helped collect) in several countries (Cameroon, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, Peru, Honduras). I also have a strong interest in economic history and in particular on the impacts of colonization on local populations. I am investigating for example how Belgian colonial policies affected women and their relative position in the Congo. I also have several papers focusing on the colonization of Kazakhstan by Russian settlers in the 19^th century.

In 2025-26, I am a visiting professor at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

I teach mainly microeconomics and development economics.