In this episode of the Oxford Policy Pod, students Marc Naro and Cristian Iftodii sit down with Paul Collier — one of the world's most influential development economists. The conversation traces his journey from studying the poorest countries on earth to asking why communities in wealthy nations are falling behind, and what policymakers can do about it.

Paul Collier is Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, and co-director of the International Growth Centre. He previously served as Director of the Development Research Group at the World Bank, and is the author of several landmark books including The Bottom Billion, Exodus, and most recently Left Behind, which won a 2025 Axiom Business Book Award.