Harvard Center for International Development

CID Research Fellow Tim McNaught interviews Duncan Green, Oxfam Strategic Adviser and LSE Professor of International Development on his latest book, "How Change Happens".

Recorded on December 7th, 2016.

"How Change Happens" explores how political and social change takes place, and the role of individuals and organizations in influencing that change.

In the book, Duncan discusses the challenges that ‘systems thinking’ creates for traditional activism and aid, and how a ‘power and systems approach’ requires activists, whether in campaigns, companies or governments, to fundamentally rethink the way they understand the world and try to influence it.

CID has launched its new Security and Development Seminar Series and over the 2016-2017 academic year, it will host four high-level discussions exploring the intersections between security, growth, and development in Latin America.

CID Student Ambassador Gustavo Payan-Luna interviews the speakers from the 2nd session, which explored how trafficking in illicit drugs, weapons, and persons by transnational criminal organizations impedes development in many Latin American countries, with a focus on Colombia.

Speakers:

•Daniel Mejia, Secretary of Security of Bogota, Colombia

•Steven Dudley, Co-director, InSight Crime, Wilson Center

•João M P De Mello, Lemann Visiting Scholar at the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies

The interview took place on December 1st, 2016.

More information about the event and the speakers can be found at: growthlab.cid.harvard.edu/security-and…minar-series

CID has launched its new Security and Development Seminar Series and over the 2016-2017 academic year, it will host four high-level discussions exploring the intersections between security, growth, and development in Latin America.

This is an interview with speakers from the 1st session, which explored how corruption and impunity obstruct development in Latin America, with a focus on Mexico and it took place on October 27th, 2016.

More information about the event and the speakers can be found at: http://growthlab.cid.harvard.edu/security-and-development-seminar-series

CID Student Ambassador Hubert Wu interviews James Breiding, Research Associate at CID on his upcoming book "Too small to fail: why small countries are outperforming larger ones and what lessons can be learned".

Recorded on November 18th, 2016.

‘Too Small to Fail’ analyzes a number of successful countries that have created virtues out of their physical limitations. It attempts to understand what they do differently and why they seem to do it better. Why are they better-educated, more egalitarian, and wealthier?

R.James Breiding is the author of Swiss Made - The Untold Story behind Switzerland's Success. Published in 10 languages and offered by 50 Swiss ambassadors as a diplomatic gift, ‘Swiss Made’ has become the most authoritative work on Swiss socio-economic history.

Mr. Breiding is a graduate of IMD Lausanne and the Harvard Kennedy School. He has been selected as a fellow by Harvard University's Center for International Development in connection with his research on Swiss Made. His work has been widely published in publications like the Economist, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times, etc.

He worked as a chartered accountant and senior manager at Price Waterhouse Coopers; a director at NM Rothschild + Sons; and managing director at Templeton Investment. He founded, with the assistance of Sir John Templeton and other prominent investors, Naissance Capital, a Swiss ‘boutique’ Investment firm.

He is a Swiss citizen.

Interview with one of our Guest Speakers at CID's Speaker Series: Angelica Natera, Executive Director of Laspau

Recorded on October 14th, 2016.

CID.HARVARD.EDU

About Angelica:

Angélica Natera is the Executive Director of Laspau: an organization affiliated with Harvard University that has contributed to the educational development of thousands of individuals in Latin America through scholarship programs and knowledge exchange opportunities. With more than 25 years of professional experience, including 14 years at Harvard, she has worked on the design and management of educational programs for public and private universities, governmental agencies, private companies and non-profit organizations in Latin America, Spain and the United States. In working with different regions in the world, Angélica has developed extensive expertise and a deep understanding of global trends and innovation in higher education.

CID Student Ambassador Cassandra Ling interviews Priyadarshani Joshi, a researcher with the Global Education Monitoring Report, housed in UNESCO. Priya discusses the recently published "2016 Global Education Monitoring Report", an editorially independent report published by UNESCO.

Recorded on November 16th, 2016.

This report has been mandated by the international education community to monitor the progress of the global goal of education in the new UN agenda (2016 - 2030). The Report presents a comprehensive vision of the ways in which education is linked to the other 16 sustainable development goals, and details the implications for monitoring the education goal (SDG 4). The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion.

Priyadarshani Joshi is from Nepal and is a researcher with the Global Education Monitoring Report, housed in UNESCO. She joined the team in 2014, and her chief emphasis has been on articulating education's role in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda. She has a PhD in Education Policy from the University of Pennsylvania. Her personal research agenda focuses on the consequences of private sector growth for the public sector, parental choice, and system wide quality and equity in the education sector in developing countries. Prior to her doctoral work, her professional backgrounds included research positions at the IMF and consultancies at UNICEF and the World Bank. Priya also initiated, co-designed and was part of the board of an innovative mobile library project in Nepal, one of the World Bank Development Marketplace 2003 Education Sector Project winners. Priya holds an undergraduate degree in Economics and Chemistry from Amherst College, and a Master’s in Public Administration (Economic Policy) from Princeton University.

Interview with CID research fellows on the Venezuela Project Team: Douglas Barrios and Miguel Angel Santos.

Recorded on November 4th, 2016.

Venezuela is currently undergoing the worst economic crisis in its history. By the end of 2016, more than 30% of the gross domestic product (GDP) it had three years ago will be lost. Poverty has soared to record levels. Monthly inflation rates are gradually approaching hyperinflation. Shortages of basic food staples and medicines are rampant. In order to promote a better understanding of the causes, magnitudes, and possible remedies of the crisis, the Center for International Development (CID) at Harvard University launched a research initiative on Venezuela at the end of 2015.

To learn more about this work and some preliminary findings, visit our project page. Members of our research team will share their experiences and preview their findings at this seminar.

Interview with one of our Guest Speakers at CID's Speaker Series: Renato de Castro, International Advisor, World e-Governments Organization.

Recorded on October 21st, 2016.

CID.HARVARD.EDU

About Renato:

Renato de Castro is a Smart City senior consultant with more than 20 years’ experience and specialized in investment attraction and management for smart cities projects. He is senior vice president for Smart Cities at CreF, Inc, an American investment bank from Pittsburgh. He is also a member of the global advisory board of Leading Cities, located in Boston, and international advisor for The World e-Governments Organization of Cities and Local Governments, in Seoul. Renato responds as mentor and advisor specialized in globalization strategies for startups around the world. He is a Doctor of Business Administration candidate at Maastricht School of Management, MSM, Netherlands, researching about Smart Cities. He is also a writer, columnist and video blogger for Smart City, ICT and Urbanization Strategies topics.

Interview with a Guest Speakers at the Ash Center's Economic Development in East Asia Seminar series, Professor Lu Ming Distinguished Professor of Economics at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and Director of the Center for China Development Studies at STJU.

Recorded on November 9th, 2016.

This seminar series is cosponsored by the Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia, Sunway University, Kuala Lumpur and the Harvard University Center for International Development.

About the speaker:

Professor Ming Lu is a distinguished professor, Ph.D. supervisor and director of Center for China Development Studies at the Department of Economics, Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Also, he is a member of the Shanghai National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He works as an adjunct professor for Fudan University, Lincoln Studies Center, Peking University, Hitotsubashi University and as an expert consultant for the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. He got Ph.D. degree in economics at Fudan University in 2001. He once worked as a Fulbright Scholar for Harvard University and NBER and as a visiting scholar at the United Nations University/World Institute for Development Economics Research (WIDER), Helsinki, Finland, Université Paris Sorbone, Queen’s University, Canada, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, Université de Lille 1, Hongkong University of Science and Technology, Université Paris Dauphine, National University of Singapore and Le Centre d'études de l'emploi, France.

The honors he won included “New Century Talent” awarded by the Ministry of Education, “Shanghai Shuguang Scholar”, “Shanghai Leading Talents” and “Shanghai's Top Ten Youth Economic Figures”.

Interview with one of our Guest Speakers at CID's Speaker Series: Soulaima Gourani, CEO Capital Aid & Owner, Tradeconductor.com

Recorded on September 23r3, 2016.

Harvard.cid.edu

About Soulaima:

Soulaima Gourani is a Danish CEO, motivational speaker, author, and philanthropist whose vision is to make the world a more tolerant place through international trade and business relations. She is currently CEO of CapitalAid, a Denmark-based company helping small businesses to accelerate growth through strategic growth loans, and as CEO of Tradeconductor.com, a service working to implement trade relations and connecting manufacturers with distributors. Gourani has also worked as an advisor to several major companies (e.g. Samsung, Microsoft, Dell, Ernst & Young, Deloitte, Danske Bank, etc.) on customer loyalty, strategic networking, employee motivation, and designing sustainable products. Alongside her work with business growth and trade, Gourani serves as the chair of numerous other organizations including Global Dignity, a nonprofit working to engage youth in conversations about dignity, and the Mara Mentor Initiative, an online platform seeking to empower young African entrepreneurs in their business ventures