Harvard Center for International Development
Harvard Center for International Development
Incredible progress has been made throughout the world in recent years. However, globalization has failed to deliver on its promises. As problems like unequal access to education and healthcare, environmental degradation, and stretched finances persist, we must continue building on decades of transformative development work.
The Center for International Development (CID) is a university-wide center based at the Harvard Kennedy School that seeks to solve these pressing development problems—and many more.
At CID, we believe leveraging global talent is the key to enabling development for all. We teach to build capacity, conduct research that guides development policy, and convene talent to advance ideas for a thriving world. Addressing today’s challenges to international development also requires bridging academic expertise with practitioner experience. Through collaborative, in-country partnerships, CID’s research programs, faculty, and students deploy an analytical framework and context-dependent approaches to tackle development problems from all angles, in every region of the globe.
The Center for International Development (CID) is a university-wide center based at the Harvard Kennedy School that seeks to solve these pressing development problems—and many more.
At CID, we believe leveraging global talent is the key to enabling development for all. We teach to build capacity, conduct research that guides development policy, and convene talent to advance ideas for a thriving world. Addressing today’s challenges to international development also requires bridging academic expertise with practitioner experience. Through collaborative, in-country partnerships, CID’s research programs, faculty, and students deploy an analytical framework and context-dependent approaches to tackle development problems from all angles, in every region of the globe.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 12, 2024 • 47min
Zooming Out on the LGBTQ+ Movement Worldwide
Join Diego Garcia Blum, Director of the Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Program at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, and Professor Tim McCarthy, a Lecturer at Harvard Kennedy School and at the Harvard School of Education. Together, they navigate the complex terrain of the LGBTQ+ movement worldwide, delving into misinformation, elections, narrative strategies, and the enduring spirit of hope as the international sector continues to broaden its definition of gender. Hosted by Evy Peña, MPA student at HKS.

Feb 29, 2024 • 43min
Centering Gender in International Development
Join Harvard University's Center for International Development for the inaugural episode of 2024’s Road to GEM podcast series, setting the stage for CID's annual conference, which this year focuses on gender and development. In this episode, CID Executive Director Fatema Z. Sumar and Research Fellow Mara Bolis engage in a thought-provoking conversation about gender and international development—reflecting on the sector's progress, current status, and the path ahead. Drawing from their extensive field experiences, Fatema and Mara offer compelling perspectives on the necessary actions to shape a future where every individual, regardless of gender, can thrive.
Hosted by Evy Peña, MPA student at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government

Jan 17, 2024 • 33min
Fog Harvesting for Water Scarcity and other Climate Interventions
Welcome to the Harvard Center for International Development’s “Road to GEM23” Climate & Development podcast. CID's "Road to GEM23" series precedes and helps launch CID’s Global Empowerment Meeting (or GEM), Growing in a Green World on May 10th and 11th. At CID, we work across a global network of researchers and practitioners to build, convene, and deploy talent to address the world’s most pressing challenges. On our Road to GEM23, we strive to elevate and learn from voices from the countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis and will feature important learnings from the leaders who will be active participants at GEM23.
This week, we are joined by Atharv Agrawal, Wajed Nadine El-Halabi & Jina Yazdanpanah from University of Toronto to discuss their fog harvesting technology in Morocco and other climate related research.
Read more about GEM here: www.hks.harvard.edu/gem

Dec 7, 2023 • 39min
Mobilizing Communities Through Art
In this interview, Charles Hua, senior at Harvard College and CID student ambassador, speaks with Xavier Cortada and Adam Roberti. Cortada, a Cuban-American artist, seamlessly works across disciplines to engage communities, urging them to draw upon local experiences and unlock their inherent creativity. Adam Roberti is the executive director of the Xavier Cortada Foundation. Discover how Cortada and Riberti leverage socially engaged art as a powerful tool, creating experiences that educate, inspire, and mobilize communities to collectively combat climate and ecological crises. The conversation delves into the profound impact of art in solving community problems, emphasizing the importance of tapping into the creativity, knowledge, and wisdom of those residing on the front line, offering a unique perspective on how art can be a driving force for change.

Dec 7, 2023 • 24min
Navigating Cities and Climate Change
Navigating Cities and Climate Change by Harvard Center for International Development

Dec 7, 2023 • 29min
Bridging Communities and Tech in a Climate Crisis
Join Charles Hua, senior at Harvard College and CID student ambassador, as he engages in a thought-provoking interview with Shayan Chowdury, Founder of Reach4Help. This tech nonprofit is on a mission to connect people in need with trusted volunteer help across more than 38 countries, effectively coordinating logistics to understand needs and mobilize resources where they're most needed. Chowdury shares the organization's response to disasters, such as floods and fires, recognizing them as direct effects of climate change. This realization compelled him to shift focus and tackle the root cause—climate change itself. Discover how Reach4Help adopts a bottom-approach, relying on the expertise of local communities and providing space for on-the-ground experts in disaster relief.

Dec 7, 2023 • 31min
Democratizing Data for Sustainable Development
Unlock the power of data democratization in our latest episode featuring Wolfgang Fengler, CEO of World Data Lab. As the driving force behind an initiative that aims to democratize data globally, Fengler discusses the urgent need to shift from backward-looking data to to break down data into relevant and actionable pieces, with a focus on critical areas like global emissions for informed decision-making and sustainable development. Join us as we delve into the challenges of organizing and harnessing and breaking down available data into relevant and actionable pieces in order to democratize information.

Jun 26, 2023 • 46min
The opportunity of climate philanthropy in India
Welcome to the Harvard Center for International Development’s Road to GEM23 Climate & Development podcast. At CID, we work across a global network of researchers and practitioners to build, convene, and deploy talent to address the world’s most pressing challenges. On our Road to GEM23, we strive to elevate and learn from voices from the countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis and will feature learnings from leading researchers and practitioners working to combat climate change.
In this episode, we are joined by Shloka Nath, CEO of the India Climate Collaborative (ICC); and Manavi Bhardwaj, Senior Manager at ICC.
The India Climate Collaborative is a first-of-its kind, India-focused collaborative that seeks to direct funding and visibility towards climate action in India. The ICC is incubated by the Tata Trusts, and legally registered as the Council of Philanthropies for Climate Action.
Shloka and Manavi are joined by Manasa Acharya, a CID Student Ambassador alum and a graduate of urban planning at the Harvard Graduate School of Design 23'. The three discussed the work of the India Climate Collaborative and the role of climate philanthropy to scale solutions in the country.

Jun 21, 2023 • 33min
Loss & damage obligations, non-political climate policies, and compelling climate communication
Welcome to the Harvard Center for International Development’s Road to GEM23 Climate & Development podcast. At CID, we work across a global network of researchers and practitioners to build, convene, and deploy talent to address the world’s most pressing challenges. On our Road to GEM23, we strive to elevate and learn from voices from the countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis and will feature learnings from leading researchers and practitioners working to combat climate change.
In this episode, we are joined by Michael Oppenheimer is the Albert G. Milbank Professor of Geosciences and International Affairs in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), the Department of Geosciences, and the High Meadows Environmental Institute at Princeton University. He is also the Director of the Center for Policy Research on Energy and the Environment (C-PREE) at SPIA.
Oppenheimer previously worked with The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) where he served as chief scientist and manager of the Climate and Air Program. He continues to serve as a science advisor to EDF.
Oppenheimer is also a long-time participant in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, most recently serving as a Coordinating Lead Author on IPCC’s Special Report on Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (2019) and as a Review Editor on the upcoming Sixth Assessment Report.
Oppenheimer is joined by CID Student Ambassador Yan Liang to discuss climate adaptation policies and the systemic changes for improved mitigation and resiliency across sectors.

Jun 21, 2023 • 31min
Ensuring a just energy transition: minimizing resource extraction for environmental justice
Welcome to the Harvard Center for International Development’s Road to GEM23 Climate & Development podcast. At CID, we work across a global network of researchers and practitioners to build, convene, and deploy talent to address the world’s most pressing challenges. On our Road to GEM23, we strive to elevate and learn from voices from the countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis and will feature learnings from leading researchers and practitioners working to combat climate change.
In this episode, we are joined by Scott Sellwood, Policy Lead, Human Rights & Extractive Industries at Oxfam America. Scott is joined by CID Student Ambassador, Charles Hua, to discuss environmental justice and natural resource extraction during a transition towards clean energy globally.
Read more about Scott on Oxfam's website here: https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/people/scott-sellwood/
And on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/scott_sellwood


