Origins & Early Life

Ha-Joon Chang (; Korean: 장하준; born 7 October 1963) is a South Korean economist and academic. Chang specialises in institutional economics and development, and lectured in economics at the University of Cambridge from 1990–2021 before becoming professor of economics at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in 2022. Chang is the author of several bestselling books on economics and development policy, most notably Kicking Away the Ladder: Development Strategy in Historical Perspective (2002). In 2013, Prospect magazine ranked Chang as one of the top 20 World Thinkers.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Chang has served as a consultant to the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Investment Bank, as well as to Oxfam and various United Nations agencies. He is also a fellow at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C. In addition, Chang serves on the advisory board of Academics Stand Against Poverty (ASAP). After graduating from Seoul National University's Department of Economics, he studied at the University of Cambridge, earning an MPhil and a PhD for his thesis entitled The Political Economy of Industrial Policy – Reflections on the Role of State Intervention...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke — Contemporary (Died in 1963) (1963): British Field Marshal and Chief of the Imperial General Staff during WWII.
• Aldous Huxley — Contemporary (Died in 1963) (1963): English writer and philosopher known for social satire and mystical explorations.
• Brad Pitt — Contemporary (Born in 1963) (1963): Esteemed American actor and producer with a career spanning over three decades.
• Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al-Ghafiqi — Shared historical date (10-07 · Died) (732): Umayyad commander who led Andalusian forces against the Franks, dying at Tours.
• Al Martino — Shared historical date (10-07 · Born) (1927): Iconic Italian-American crooner, celebrated for standards and his role in The Godfather.
• C. S. Lewis — Historical peer (Died in 1963) (1963): Influential British author, theologian, and scholar known for Narnia and Christian apologetics.
• Charles Barkley — Historical peer (Born in 1963) (1963): Iconic former NBA star, analyst, and powerhouse rebounder.
• A. J. P. Taylor — Historical peer (Died in 1990) (1990): Influential English historian specializing in 19th and 20th-century European diplomacy.
• Aaron Copland — Historical peer (Died in 1990) (1990): Pioneering American composer, conductor, and critic, known as the "Dean of American Music".
• Abdul Qadeer Khan — Historical peer (Died in 2021) (2021): Pakistani nuclear physicist, known as the 'father of Pakistan's atomic weapons program'
• 1963 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1963
• October 7 (10-07) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on October 7