Werner Baer

Who is Werner Baer?

Werner Baer is an American economist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Jorge Lemann Professor of Economics. He received his Bachelor's degree from Queen's College in 1953, and a Master's and a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1955 and 1958 respectively. His research centers on Latin America's industrialization and economic development, especially of Import Substitution Industrialization and Brazil.

Carlos Alberto Braga, an economist at The World Bank, notes that not only does Baer’s analysis of Latin American economic development occupy a well-deserved place in the economic literature dedicated to the region but also that he has been a highly influential thinker and researcher. This is because he has been responsible for establishing one of the largest networks of those interested in the economies of Latin American. His impact on debates about Latin America’s economic experience goes well beyond his writings. Rafael Correa, the current president of Ecuador, and Alexandre Tombini, the current president of the Brazilian Central Bank, were advised by Baer during their time at Illinois.

His book, The Brazilian Economy: Growth and Development, is one of the only comprehensive studies in English of all aspects of Brazil's economic development, and is currently in its 6th edition.