Harvard Center for International Development

Guest: Binta Diop, Former Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, African Union Host: Sumedha Tanwar, MPP Candidate, Harvard Kennedy School This episode of the CID Voices Road to GEM podcast examines the role of women in conflict resolution and peacebuilding across Africa. The conversation traces how women from the Mano River region, Burundi, and the DRC pushed their way into peace processes a...

This episode of CID Voices explores how development finance institutions have evolved from counter-cyclical lenders during the financial crisis into impact-driven investors operating under mounting fiscal scrutiny. The conversation moves through the tensions shaping DFIs today: the push toward private capital mobilization and what it means for additionality, the segregation of capital pools across...

In this CID Voices Road to GEM26 podcast episode, Harvard Kennedy School student Carissa Tridina speaks with Professor Chatib Basri, former Finance Minister of Indonesia and current visiting scholar at CID, about the structural shifts reshaping development and financing today. As global aid shrinks and countries’ debt burdens rise, governments face tighter fiscal space and more complex political t...

In this episode CID Voices Road to GEM26 podcast, Harvard Kennedy School student Stuti Goyal speaks with Vishnu Venugopalan, an Indian Administrative Service officer and Practitioner in Residence at the Harvard Center for International Development. Anchored in CID’s research theme of Trade, Growth, and Regional Economics, the conversation explores how countries position themselves within shifting...

In this episode of the CID Voices Road to GEM26 podcast, Harvard Kennedy School student, and CID podcast producer, Ritul Madhukar speaks with Michael Croft, UNESCO’s Representative to Mozambique, whose career has spanned crisis and transition contexts in Libya, Nepal and Vietnam. Anchored in CID’s research theme of Culture, Institutions, and History, the conversation explores what it takes to buil...

In the final episode of Road to GEM, Harvard Kennedy School MPP candidate Slavina Ancheva speaks with Dr. Flavio du Pin Calmon, Associate Professor at Harvard SEAS, about the intersection of artificial intelligence, equity, and global development. Together, they explore how AI technologies can both bridge and deepen digital divides — especially in low-resource and underserved regions. Dr. Calmon s...

In this episode of Road to GEM, Harvard Kennedy School’s Dr. Aarushi Jain speaks with Dr. Bhaskar Chakravorti, Dean of Global Business at Tufts University’s Fletcher School and Founding Director of Digital Planet, about the uneven global spread of artificial intelligence. While AI holds promise for breakthroughs in healthcare, agriculture, education, and governance, Dr. Chakravorti sounds a note o...

In this episode of the Road to GEM podcast, host Felicity Powell joins a panel of international development and education experts to explore how artificial intelligence could transform education and promote equity. As foreign aid declines and humanitarian challenges grow, the discussion highlights why education remains essential to global equity and revisits past technology initiatives to consider...

In this episode of Road to GEM, Harvard PhD Student and CID Affiliate Jasmin Higo speaks with Jean-Martin Bauer, Director of Food Security and Nutrition Analysis at the World Food Programme, about how AI is shaping the global response to hunger. With over 700 million people facing chronic food insecurity—and food crises driven by conflict, climate change, and economic instability—this conversation...

In this episode of Road to GEM, we explore the transformative role of artificial intelligence in urban planning and climate resilience. Jennifer Hotsko and Betty Chemier from UNDP’s Accelerator Lab in Panama join host Giovanna Lia Toledo, Master in Urban Planning candidate at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, to share real-world projects where AI is being used to visualize climate risks, enga...

Artificial Intelligence is transforming humanitarian aid—but what does responsible, community-centered innovation really look like? In this episode we explore how AI is being applied across CARE’s work in humanitarian and development contexts, from real-time needs assessment to amplifying women’s voices during crises. Emily Janoch, with nearly two decades of experience in systems design and eviden...

How is AI reshaping Africa's tech landscape? In this episode, Marcelle N. Momha explores this question with Dr. Barbara Glover (African Union Development Agency-NEPAD) and Dr. William Wasswa (Mbarara University of Science and Technology). They discuss the role of AI in tackling African challenges, highlighting projects like Microsoft's investments and AI-driven healthcare innovations. Discover how...

AI is reshaping global development—but how can it be harnessed to address challenges in governance, decentralization, and inclusion? In this episode, we dive into the transformative potential of AI with Pritham Raja and Chinasa T. Okolo, who explore the intersection of AI, policy, and global equity. From using AI to bridge gaps in local governance to the power of smaller, more accessible language...

In this episode, we delve into the complex dynamics between mega-sporting events and human rights. Vijay Simhan from Humanity United offers valuable insights into funding strategies for narrative, research and advocacy, drawing from the foundation's work in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Thays Prado from the Center for Sport and Human Rights emphasizes the crucial role of centering women and ge...

Whether as spectators, players, coaches, or executives, sports bring people together and have the potential to drive improvements in education, health, and labor across the globe. In this episode, we explore the transformative power of sports in community building and international development. Mariana Behr Andrade, Global Sports Initiative Fellow at Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center, who sp...

In this episode, we’re diving into the power of narrative in international development. More than just storytelling, narrative has become a critical tool—from shaping program design to influencing funding decisions. Donors and practitioners alike are recognizing the role of narrative in advancing sustainable development goals. But what exactly does "narrative" mean in this context, and how can we...

In this episode, we dive into reproductive justice—exploring abortion access in Latin America and menstrual rights in India. How can we advance reproductive rights while navigating religious, intergenerational and cultural landscapes? We’ll discuss the intersections of labor, health, and policy. First, we speak with Paula Avila-Guillen, human rights attorney and Executive Director at the Women’s E...

In this episode, we explore the care economy, delving into the crucial roles of care for children, elders, and others from an economic perspective. Who is truly investing in care, and who benefits from these investments? We’re joined by Nancy Folbre, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who analyzes care as an intergenerational exchange and a vital investment...

In this episode, we unpack what “scaling up” truly means in international development—not just expanding for growth’s sake, but doing so with intentionality to maximize impact. We’re joined by Jossie Fahsbender, Senior Program Manager at IMAGO, and Siddhant Gokhale, Senior Knowledge Manager at IMAGO, co-authors of Scaling Up Development Impact alongside Harvard Professor Isabel Guerrero. Jossie an...

In this episode, we explore the dynamic relationship between education policy and human development in the Global South. Dr. Emiliana Vegas, a professor at the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University. She shares her wealth of experience and insights. From advocating for micro-inputs to promoting comprehensive support systems, Dr. Vegas offers valuable perspectives on the evolving landsc...

In this episode, we explore women's economic empowerment with Diva Dhar from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Varina Winder from the US State Department, and Wendy Teleki from the World Bank. Together, they share their unique approaches to addressing economic opportunities for women, discussing pivotal moments for women in low and medium-income countries, areas of progress, and existing gaps...

In this episode of our Road to GEM24 podcast series, Javed Malik, Program Director of the Malala Fund in Pakistan, dives into the realms of education, governance, and development. Tune in to listen to discussions on the role of evidence-based policymaking, challenges in education delivery, and the imperative of gender-focused interventions. Hosted by Usama Mohammed, a student at Harvard's Graduate...

Join us as we dive into strategies to foster investment in female founders, with a special focus on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Our guests, Katherine Coffman from Harvard Business School and Hela Cheikhrouhou from the International Finance Corporation, shed light on the barriers and disparities faced by female founders and advocate for gender-specific approaches to funding. Hos...

Dive into the vibrant LGBTQ+ movements of Lebanon and Mexico in our latest episode of "Zooming Into the LGBTQ+ Movement." Join us as we speak with two remarkable activists and entrepreneurs, Tarek Zeidan and Enrique Torre Molina. Tarek is the founder of Helem, the pioneering LGBTQ+ organization in the Arab world, while Enrique co-founded Colmena 41, an organization bridging entrepreneurship, advoc...

Join us as we zoom into the LGBTQ+ movement in Brazil and Kenya with Antonia Moreira (Atelier TRANSmoras Association) and Enosa Adera (Trans* Alliance). Antonia brings the power of fashion to the forefront, using it as a catalyst for advocacy and community building in Brazil. Meanwhile, in Kenya, Enosa confronts a legal landscape of criminalization, employing policy advocacy and representation to...