WATCH: Krishna Kumar on Equity, Human Capital & Global Development
Video
December 2024
This is the latest in our EquityCorps video series, featuring NORC experts who are advancing equity through social science research.
Center on Equity Research
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Krishna Kumar discusses how global research experiences shape perspectives on equity and human capital development—both in the United States and internationally.
Krishna Kumar, executive vice president and chief research officer at NORC, joins Ashani Johnson-Turbes, director of the Center on Equity Research, for the latest video in our EquityCorps series.
The interview explores the connection between international development work and domestic equity issues, highlighting the importance of human capital investment and inclusive economic growth.
Key Topics
- The global research experience in regions such as Kurdistan, Bangladesh, and the Middle East, focusing on labor markets and economic development
- The concept of "human flourishing" as a higher standard than poverty eradication, emphasizing comprehensive human capital development
- The distinction between equity and equality—including how different social, political, and environmental circumstances affect people's ability to convert resources into outcomes
- The importance of focusing on the bottom 10 to 15 percent of the population rather than fixating on the top 1 percent
- The critical need for democratizing data and research by involving affected communities in identifying their needs and solutions
- The role of human capital investment in achieving both equity and efficiency in economic policy
- The relevance of Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy that societies should be judged by how they treat their most vulnerable members
