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Elhanan Helpman

Elhanan Helpman is an Israeli economist known as a cofounder of new trade theory and new growth theory, and a professor at Tel Aviv University and Harvard University.

born 1946New trade theoryNew growth theoryResearch on international trade

Born: 30 March 1946, Manas
Occupation: economist, university teacher
Education: Harvard University, Tel Aviv University

Elhanan Helpman was born in 1946 in Manas

Helpman was born in 1946 in Jalal-Abad, in the Kyrgyz SSR of the Soviet Union. He immigrated to Israel with his family in 1957. He first planned to study engineering but turned to economics after reading a friend's textbook.

At Tel Aviv University he earned a B.A. in economics and statistics in 1969 and an M.A. in economics in 1971. He completed a Ph.D. in economics at Harvard in 1974.

He taught at Tel Aviv University from 1974 to 2004 and began teaching at Harvard in 1997. His research covers international trade, economic growth and political economy, and he wrote several books with Paul Krugman and Gene Grossman. He served as President of the Econometric Society and of the Israeli Economic Association.

In Israel he sat on the advisory board of the Bank of Israel and on the board of Bank Hapoalim. He received the Israel Prize in 1991. He is married to Ruth Helpman and has two daughters.