Linor Kiknadze 

Linor Kiknadze is a senior researcher at the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy, Reichman University, with extensive academic and research experience gained under the mentorship of Nobel Prize Laureate Prof. James Heckman at the University of Chicago. Born in Kazakhstan, raised in Israel, and currently based in London, Linor brings a unique international perspective to the challenges of economics, education, and public policy.

She holds an M.A. in Economics from Tel Aviv University and spent over a decade working at the Center for the Economics of Human Development (CEHD) at the University of Chicago. There, she contributed to a variety of large-scale projects focused on the formation of human capital skills across the life cycle, and on the ways in which skill acquisition shapes inequality and intergenerational mobility. Her work involved extensive data collection and analysis, the development of empirical models, and the generation of insights that have informed policymakers worldwide.

Her main research interests lie in the intersection of education, labor markets, and welfare policy with human capital development. She is particularly interested in identifying mechanisms that enhance social mobility and reduce persistent inequalities, with the goal of offering practical recommendations that can be translated into effective public policies.
By joining the Aaron Institute, Linor sees an opportunity to connect her international research experience with the pressing policy challenges facing Israel. She is especially committed to applied research that can inform long-term strategies for strengthening human capital in Israel, with a focus on Arab society, the Haredi community, and youth in socio-economic peripheries.

Her vision is to produce data-driven knowledge that empowers policymakers to design a more equitable society—one in which quality education and investments in human capital are available to every child, regardless of their family or social background.