Rachel Glennerster, President of the Center for Global Development (CGD), discusses the need for smarter, more cost-effective aid, especially in a time of shrinking budgets. Glennerster stresses the value of focusing aid on areas with proven high-impact returns, and the critical role of research and innovation. She also calls for communicating more clearly with the public to rebuild trust and support for global development.

Prior to joining CGD, Glennerster was an Associate Professor of Economics in the Division of Social Science at the University of Chicago. Glennerster previously served as Chief Economist at the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the Department for International Development in the UK. From 2004 to 2017, she served as Executive Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Glennerster helped to establish “Deworm the World”, which has helped provide 1 billion deworming treatments to children worldwide, and played a pivotal role in establishing initiatives and providing advice to governments about the most effective education strategies. She also currently serves as the Chair of Teaching at the Right Level Africa (TaRL Africa).