Helping to Shape the Changing World of Work

Alumni, College/University Partners, UWC High Schools, Technology, Interview/Profile

Helping_to_shape

With a Ph.D. in development economics from American University, Aarti Reddy (India, Li Po Chun UWC of Hong Kong, University of Richmond ’15) is building a career on illuminating and helping to guide changes in the digital economy’s world of work.

“I’m currently working with WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment, Globalizing and Organizing) to coordinate research related to digital platforms and informal employment,” she writes. “WIEGO is a global network that supports workers in informal employment. We are currently working to understand and document the ways in which digital technologies, and digital labour platforms in particular, are impacting informal employment, and changing labour market dynamics more broadly.   

“This work will help inform WIEGO’s strategy for participation during the 2025 International Labour Conference, whose agenda includes a first standard-setting discussion on ‘decent work in the platform economy.’ … These discussions feed into global standards and directives that are then adopted by countries.

“I am also working as a research fellow at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), a Delhi-based policy think tank,” adds Aarti, who lives in Delhi. “My part of the Digital Economy, Startups, and Innovation team includes conducting quantitative and qualitative research, engaging with policy makers, and working with stakeholders to help them make evidence-based decisions. I have co-led three iterations of a report on the ‘State of India’s Digital Economy.’   

“I think the unifying theme in my work has been trying to bridge research with policy and program implementation, to make institutions and markets work better for individuals who they don’t serve well. For example, the hope is that my current research and policy work related to labour markets would contribute to more nuanced regulation and policies that promote decent working conditions for all individuals, whether they are employed formally or informally.”

This profile is part of the “Graduates in Action” series from the 2025 Annual Report.

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