In Pursuit of Development

In this episode, Dan Banik speaks with economist Dean Karlan , the Frederic Esser Nemmers Distinguished Professor at Northwestern University and former Chief Economist of USAID, about his effort to build a new evidence-driven office inside the world’s largest bilateral aid agency. Drawing on his experience from 2022 to 2025, Dean reflects on the ambition behind creating the Office of the Chief Eco...

As globalization gives way to fragmentation, the politics of finance and development are shifting fast. Tariffs, trade wars, and geopolitical rivalries are redrawing economic maps, while traditional sources of aid are shrinking. In this environment, low- and middle-income countries are searching for new partners and new pathways to growth—and China’s role looms large. Over the past two decades, Ch...

In this episode of In Pursuit of Development , Dan Banik sits down with Rachel Glennerster , President of the Center for Global Development (CGD) , to discuss how the global development landscape is being reshaped by shifting politics, tighter budgets, and new sources of innovation and influence. From Washington to New Delhi, the narrative of development is evolving—no longer centered solely on ai...

Malawi has once again gone to the polls, reaffirming its reputation as one of Africa’s most enduring democracies. In September 2025, former president Peter Mutharika returned to power after defeating Lazarus Chakwera in a peaceful transfer of power that defied global trends of democratic decline. Despite widespread poverty, inflation, and economic stagnation, Malawians continue to place their trus...

One year after a deadly train-station collapse in Novi Sad that killed sixteen people, Serbia’s student-led protests have become a powerful challenge to corruption, impunity, and democratic decay. In this episode, Dan Banik speaks with Nemanja Džuverović , Professor of Peace Studies at the University of Belgrade, about how grief turned into the country’s largest civic movement in decades. Together...

In this episode, Dan Banik speaks with Jorge Heine , a seasoned diplomat, former Minister of State , and Chile’s ambassador to China, India, and South Africa — three pivotal countries at the center of today’s shifting world order. Drawing on his extensive diplomatic experience, Heine discusses the growing influence of the Global South and the resurgence of active non-alignment as nations navigate...

In this episode of In Pursuit of Development , Dan Banik speaks with Pedro Conceição , Director of the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Report Office, about the enduring power and renewed urgency of the human development idea. The conversation begins with the origins of the Human Development Reports, tracing how Mahbub ul Haq and Amartya Sen transformed a moral vision into...

As global politics shifts and economic pressures mount, understanding what citizens actually think — not what outsiders assume they think — has never been more important. In this episode, Dan Banik speaks with Joseph Asunka , CEO of Afrobarometer , the pan-African, non-partisan research network that has become the world’s leading source of high-quality data on what Africans are thinking about demo...

Bangladesh is often described as one of the great development success stories of recent decades. Poverty has fallen sharply, life expectancy has risen, and millions of women have entered the workforce. Today, however, that narrative sits uneasily beside new questions about data reliability, the cost-of-living crisis, and deepening inequality. What explains this paradox and what does Bangladesh’s e...

The United Nations is facing its worst financial crisis in decades. Compared to its 2023 peak, total UN spending has fallen by almost one-third. While some countries have withheld much of their funding, others are paying late. And still others have reduced or postponed contributions. Against this backdrop, Secretary-General António Guterres has launched the UN80 reform initiative , an effort to st...

In the first episode of In Pursuit of Development Season 6, host Dan Banik returns after an unexpected year-and-a-half hiatus following a serious health emergency. Dan examines how the world has entered a period of profound flux. The once-stable liberal international order is giving way to a more fragmented and contested multipolar reality. He explores how trade wars, weakening multilateral instit...

Season finale!   It is my great pleasure to welcome back a person I have very much enjoyed speaking with earlier— Dan Honig , an Associate Professor of Public Policy at University College London and Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy ( @rambletastic) . His latest book is Mission Driven Bureaucrats: Empowering People To Help Government Do Better . Mission-driven bureaucrats, according to Da...

The liberal international order, characterized by rules-based multilateralism and values such as openness and representation, is often portrayed in terms of multiple crises. These crises, often analyzed from a Western perspective, include the reduced support of some Western powers towards certain multilateral institutions and the establishment of new ones by rising powers. However, these narrative...

The ever-evolving world of global power dynamics is characterized by the complex relationships between large economies such as the United States and China and how these interactions are perceived and navigated by countries in the Global South. Understanding these dynamics requires a comprehensive view of how some countries, such as China, position themselves as a challenger to the existing world o...

A central theme in Ian Shapiro's extensive body of research is the concept of domination, which captures the reactive nature of human beings towards power structures. Unlike traditional political theories that imagine societies designing just orders from scratch, Ian argues that political institutions evolve in response to the rejection of unacceptable power dynamics. This reactive nature is evide...

Effective bureaucracies are pivotal in mobilizing resources, implementing development projects, and ensuring equitable distribution of growth benefits across all societal segments. Conversely, weak administrative systems often result in inefficiency, corruption, and the derailment of vital development efforts aimed at improving health, education, and economic opportunities. The significance of adm...

A common concern voiced by leaders in many developing nations is the deterioration of their road systems and the apparent hesitance of the international community to fund infrastructure improvements. In response, China launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013. This sweeping project has facilitated investments in sectors such as transportation, infrastructure, telecommunications, logisti...

The continued reliance on a "business as usual" model is insufficient for countering the detrimental consequences of global warming. Numerous studies, including the influential reports from the IPCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , have sparked a keen interest in understanding the prerequisites for the societal transformations necessary to address climate change effectively. Howeve...

Many nations around the world are grappling with the challenge of providing reliable and sustainable energy access to their populations. Half a billion people, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South Asia, still rely on biomass for their basic needs, underscoring the urgent necessity for innovative energy solutions.  The quest for electrification, especially in rural and underserved...

In the fabric of today's interconnected globe, "Made in China" has emerged as a richly layered emblem, intertwined with economic, political, and cultural narratives. Every day, consumers worldwide engage with this tag, embedded in an array of products, prompting us to ponder: What deeper meanings unfold from the assertion that a product is "Made in China"? Pursuing this question guides us through...

Effective leadership is characterized by its ability to inspire collective action, foster inclusivity, and navigate the intricate dynamics of political, economic, and cultural landscapes to drive meaningful change. The challenge of leadership in the context of development is further complicated by the need for adaptability and resilience. Leaders must be capable of steering their communities throu...

The African continent is projected to have the fastest urban growth rate in the world: by 2050, Africa’s cities will be home to an additional 950 million people. While this surge presents urban centers with a wealth of opportunities such as a larger workforce, increased consumer markets, and greater potential for cultural exchange, it also brings forth substantial challenges. The rapid population...

The landscape of democracy in Africa is characterized by a dynamic interplay between achievements and obstacles, particularly as the continent approaches a pivotal year with numerous elections scheduled in 2024. Countries such as South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, and Senegal are preparing for electoral contests, underscoring a persistent belief in the electoral system as a legitimate means to sel...

The political landscape of Latin America has undergone major transformation since the democratization wave of the 1980s and 1990s. During this time, most democracies in the region have managed to persist, albeit with a few notable exceptions. However, the quality of these democracies has often been questioned. Guillermo O’Donnell's characterization of Latin American democracies as "strange and fla...

An increasing number of countries are struggling with rising debt and facing defaults. A recent World Bank report revealed that developing countries paid a record $443.5 billion in 2022 to service their public debts, a situation exacerbated by surging global interest rates and a strong U.S. dollar. This debt servicing cost represents a 5% increase from the previous year, with warnings of more chal...