[7] Kanbur gained his degree in economics from the Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge in 1975.
[10] Kanbur's initial draft argued that, "anti-poverty strategies must emphasise 'empowerment' (increasing poor people's capacity to influence state institutions and social norms) and security (minimising the consequences of economic shocks for the poorest) as well as opportunity (access to assets).
"[11] The final version of the report still contained the three central pillars of: (a) empowerment, (b) security and (c) opportunity, however the order was changed to (a) opportunity (with emphasis given to market-driven economic growth and liberalisation as ways of reducing poverty), (b) empowerment and, (c) security.
[12][13] The World Bank denied that US treasury secretary Larry Summers or anyone else had influenced the report to make it less radical.
[6] Kanbur is married to Margaret Grieco, Professor of Transport and Society at Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland.