Sharnic Djaker

Sharnic Djaker is a Research Scientist at the What Works Hub for Global Education (WWHGE) at the Blavatnik School of Government and an Associate Member of St Antony’s College. His research lies at the intersection of persuasion, information design, and science-informed decision-making, with a focus on how individuals and institutions respond to evidence. Drawing on his training in psychology and economics, he explores how the design and framing of information influence behaviour—particularly in contexts where decision-makers face uncertainty, limited attention, or competing priorities.

At WWHGE, Sharnic leads the implementation research pillar. His core portfolio of studies examines whether, how, and under what conditions policymakers take up and act on scientific evidence. Prior to joining the Hub, his applied research focused on how informational interventions—such as targeted report cards and nudges—can shift classroom practices and improve learning outcomes. These studies were conducted in collaboration with governments and NGOs across disadvantaged settings in South Asia and Latin America, often embedded within existing education systems. His work combines tools from behavioural science and causal inference to study how evidence is interpreted, taken up, and acted on by decision-makers—informing the design of public programmes that are both policy-relevant and scalable.

Sharnic holds a PhD in Applied Psychology with a concentration in Economics from New York University, a BS in Economics from Shiv Nadar University, and a Master’s degree from University College London. Before his doctoral studies, he was a Research Associate at J-PAL South Asia. He has consulted for organisations such as the World Bank, the Jacobs Foundation, J-PAL South Asia, and the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), contributing to research on education systems, learning losses, and behavioural responses to information