Bio
Professor Raymond Duch is an eminent experimental social scientist at the University of Oxford, known for pioneering cutting-edge methods to address real-world problems. He currently co-leads the “Talking to Machines” project, an international initiative integrating artificial intelligence into social science experiments.
A cornerstone of Duch’s career is his leadership in experimental methodology. He co-founded the Centre for Experimental Social Sciences (CESS) and expanded it by launching sister labs in Chile, China, and India, creating a platform for scholars worldwide to conduct controlled studies in diverse settings. He has been instrumental in building communities around experimental political science—most notably as one of the founding figures of the European Political Science Association (EPSA). Duch also convened early international conferences on behavioral experiments (co-founding the International Meeting of Experimental and Behavioral Social Science (IMEBESS)) and served in editorial roles for field-shaping journals, including the American Journal of Political Science and Journal of Experimental Political Science. These contributions underscore his reputation as an innovator who continually pushes the boundaries of social science research.
Duch’s work has a distinctly global, policy-driven reach. He has led or co-led field experiments around the world, often in partnership with governments and international agencies. As a member of the UK Cabinet Office’s Cross-Whitehall Trial Advice Panel, he provided technical guidance to help government departments test policy interventions via randomized trials. In the financial sector, he advised the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority on strategies to counter misinformation and improve public financial literacy. He is equally active in health policy research: Duch has collaborated on randomized trials to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake and tuberculosis screening in low-resource communities. Such projects, often undertaken with national health ministries and global NGOs, exemplify his commitment to evidence-based solutions for public well-being.
The impact of Duch’s work is reflected in his high-profile publications. He has recently co-authored studies in leading scientific journals. In 2022, he published a Nature Medicine article reporting a randomized trial of financial incentives for COVID-19 vaccination in rural Ghana, and contributed to a PNAS study examining public preferences for vaccine distribution across 13 countries. Many of his other works appear in top outlets such as American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, and Political Analysis. This body of research—spanning health, economics, and political behavior—has not only earned academic accolades but also informs policymakers addressing challenges from pandemic response to economic accountability.
Throughout his career, Duch has also embraced roles in professional service and mentorship. He was served on the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Political Science Advisory Panel (1999–2001); chaired the Texas Higher Education Board committee on international education initiatives; serves on the IAST Scientific Council; is a member of the American Political Science Association’s Working Group on Artificial Intelligence and is founding director of the charity, Knowledge without Borders. He has held visiting professorships at world-renowned institutions, including Stanford University, Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, and the Toulouse School of Economics. These global engagements reflect his international influence and collaborative spirit. Today, Professor Duch continues to advance the frontiers of experimental social science—integrating AI into research, leading worldwide field projects, and training the next generation of scholars. For more information on his work and current projects, read his CV here.