BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Growth Lab - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Growth Lab REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20210314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20211107T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20220313T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20221106T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20230312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20231105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20270314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20271107T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260226T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260226T130000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20260121T202009Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T153513Z UID:17427-1772107200-1772110800@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Industrial Policy in Action: Lessons from Over a Decade at the Department of Energy DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\nThe energy sector stands at an inflection point. After 15 years of remarkable change\, the convergence of surging electricity demand\, climate pressures\, and emerging industries promises even more rapid transformation. This presentation and discussion draws on Garrett’s experience at the Department of Energy and Waypoint Strategy Group to explore the path from research to commercialization\, the impacts of policy on technology development and deployment\, and the broader ecosystem that makes modern energy systems work. We’ll close with a look at what the coming years may hold. \n\n\n\nSpeaker: Garrett Nilsen\, Co-Founder and Partner Waypoint Strategy Group  \n\n\n\nWhether attending in person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is permitted for the Harvard community. Lunch will be served. The Zoom session is open to the public. \n\n\n\nSpeaker Bio: Garrett spent over 13 years working in the US Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO)\, rising the roles of Deputy (and Acting) Director\, aiding the industry’s rise from a minor contributor to the US electricity sector to the nation’s fastest growing energy source. He managed a $300+ million-per-year portfolio spanning photovoltaics\, solar-thermal\, grid integration\, supply-chain resilience\, and non-hardware solar costs (e.g. workforce development\, siting\, community acceptance\, equitable access to solar). Under his leadership the office launched first of their kind programs to address technology commercialization\, solar energy and load forecasting\, renewable energy siting\, renewable energy grid interconnection\, new uses of solar\, and more. Prior to leadership roles at SETO\, he led teams working on accelerating technologies to market and got to see first hand how industrial policy can shape a technologies future. Garrett is now at Waypoint Strategy Group\, which he founded with 3 other senior DOE leaders in 2025 to bring lessons on technology research\, development\, and commercialization and effective funding program design to the world.  \n\n\n\nThe Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states\, and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n Share URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/industrial-policy-in-action-lessons-from-over-a-decade-at-the-department-of-energy/ LOCATION:Allison Dining Room (T-520) CATEGORIES:Development Talks,Hybrid ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Garrett-N-Headshot.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260212T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260212T130000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20260126T141548Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260126T164824Z UID:17483-1770897600-1770901200@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:From Vacant Houses to Growth-Ready Capabilities: A Place-Based Growth Diagnostic DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\nThis talk explores housing vacancy as a source of insight into how cities can unlock new growth opportunities. Using Baltimore as a case study\, it highlights how strengthening institutional coordination\, capital access\, and prevention capacity can shape more resilient development trajectories. The talk connects place-based innovation to Growth Lab frameworks on capabilities\, complexity\, and structural transformation.  \n\n\n\nSpeaker: Terrance Smith\, Chief Innovation Officer for the city of Baltimore \n\n\n\nWhether attending in person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is permitted for the Harvard community. Lunch will be served. The Zoom session is open to the public. \n\n\n\nSpeaker Bio: Terrance Smith is a public innovation leader focused on designing trustworthy public institutions that demonstrate ability\, humanity\, and integrity through how systems actually operate. \n\n\n\nHe currently serves as Chief Innovation Officer for the city of Baltimore\, leading two high-performing teams advancing public safety recruitment and retention and housing vacancy prevention\, while delivering system-level outcomes and building institutional capacity for trust and performance at scale. \n\n\n\nPreviously\, Terrance was a Public Innovation Fellow at the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University and served as Innovation Director for the City of Mobile\, Alabama\, where he founded the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Initiatives and led the city’s Innovation Team and Datacenter. In Mobile\, his work helped reduce blighted properties by 53 percent\, earning national recognition from Fast Company and catalyzing legislative change and new models for cities addressing long-term disinvestment. \n\n\n\nAcross housing\, public safety\, and service delivery\, Terrance’s work centers on a core insight: public innovation succeeds when trust is designed into systems\, not treated as a byproduct. He has been named a Bloomberg Cities CityLab Innovator to Watch and a Top Forty Under Forty by Mobile Bay Magazine. \n\n\n\nThe Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states\, and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n Share URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/from-vacant-houses-to-missing-capabilities-a-place-based-growth-diagnostic/ LOCATION:Malkin Penthouse (L-P-9) CATEGORIES:Development Talks,Hybrid ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/terrance_smith_c_terrance_smith-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260204T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260204T130000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20260116T184959Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260202T221240Z UID:17404-1770206400-1770210000@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Getting Things Done: Issue Spotting in the Infrastructure Development Projects Ecosystem DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n Share\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this Development Talk\, Bill Dobbs will share a front‑row view of how public policy\, governance\, and engineering intersect in real‑world settings. He will offer Insights into how large public works succeed—or fail—depending on governance\, institutions\, and the quality of decision‑making and practical advice to future policy makers on infrastructure project management.  \n\n\n\nSpeaker: Bill Dobbs\, Former Civil and Structural Engineer and Project Manager \n\n\n\nModerator: Ricardo Hausmann\, Director\, Growth Lab \n\n\n\nWhether attending in person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is permitted for the Harvard community. Lunch will be served. The Zoom session is open to the public. \n\n\n\nSpeaker Bio: Over nearly fifty years as a civil and structural engineer and project manager\, Bill Dobbs has worked on major infrastructure projects in over 20 countries. Trained (B.Sc.\, and M.Eng.) at Cornell University\, Bill Dobbs has overseen the design and construction of\, inter alia\, hydroelectric dams\, tunnels\, water and wastewater systems\, transportation projects\, and U.S. government facilities across South Asia\, Southeast Asia\, Africa\, Latin America\, and Eastern Europe. Many of his projects were funded by international institutions such as USAID\, the Islamic Development Bank\, the Asian Development Bank\, the Inter‑American Development Bank\, and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency. \n\n\n\nMr. Dobbs brings a technically sophisticated\, but practical and culturally sensitive focus to world-class engineering projects. His assignments required navigating through complex stakeholder environments involving national government agencies\, local communities\, international lenders\, and private contractors. \n\n\n\nWhether dealing with funding agencies\, aligning infrastructure plans with social and environmental safeguards\, or helping governments build technical capacity\, he has worked at the point where policy objectives meet on-the-ground realities. He retired from full-time practice in 2024\, but continues to support international projects and maintains contact with his professional associates\, offering them guidance in their professional careers.  \n\n\n\nThe Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states\, and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/getting-things-done-issue-spotting-in-the-infrastructure-development-projects/ LOCATION:Democracy Lab (414-AB) CATEGORIES:Development Talks,Hybrid ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Bill-Dobbs.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251119T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251119T153000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20251107T203302Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251119T151235Z UID:17185-1763562600-1763566200@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Exiting the Resource Curse: The Political Economy of Natural Resource Management in Latin America DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\nLatin America is one of the world’s most resource-rich regions\, with major oil reserves in Brazil\, Mexico\, and Venezuela\, abundant natural gas in Argentina and Bolivia\, and significant mineral deposits in Bolivia\, Colombia\, Chile\, and Peru. Yet\, natural resource management in the region is often shaped by shifting political and economic factors\, including ideological rifts and volatile commodity prices\, hindering consistent policy and institutional development to manage rents and foster broader economic development. \n\n\n\nOsmel Manzano will discuss the key challenges and opportunities for effective natural resource management in Latin America\, and its implications for economic development and productive diversification. \n\n\n\nSpeaker: Osmel Manzano\, Regional Economic Advisor for the Country Department for the Andean Group at the Inter-American Development Bank \n\n\n\nWhether attending in person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is permitted for the Harvard community. Refreshments will be served. The Zoom session is open to the public. \n\n\n\nSpeaker Bio: Osmel Manzano is an Adjunct Professor at the Walsh School of Foreign Service (Georgetown University) and the Elliot School of International Affairs (George Washington University). He is also Regional Economic Advisor for the Country Department for the Andean Group at the Inter-American Development Bank. He has taught courses on Macroeconomics\, Public Finance\, Energy Economics and Oil Economics. He is responsible for the economic work and macroeconomic monitoring of the IADB in the Andean Region. He has been working on the development challenges in Latin America\, with emphasis on resource abundance\, agriculture\, energy\, and growth and productivity. He has authored different publications on these subjects. Read more >> \n\n\n\nThe Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states\, and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n Share URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/exiting-the-resource-curse-the-political-economy-of-natural-resource-management-in-latin-america/ LOCATION:Wexner 434 AB CATEGORIES:Development Talks,Hybrid ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Untitled-640-x-360-px.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251030T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251030T130000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20251027T152405Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251029T162444Z UID:17017-1761825600-1761829200@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:AI and Economic Development: Opportunities\, Challenges\, and Policy Implications DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\nAs artificial intelligence capabilities advance rapidly\, they are beginning to reshape patterns of economic development\, productivity growth\, and labor markets around the world. The emergence of open-source AI is transforming how these technologies diffuse across economies and who can access them. These shifts raise fundamental questions about which sectors and regions will benefit most and what policy frameworks are needed to navigate them. \n\n\n\nThomas Wolf\, Co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Hugging Face\, will discuss how AI is influencing dynamics in economic development\, and explore the key challenges facing policymakers and researchers as they work to understand and guide these transformations. HuggingFace operates the leading open platform for collaboration in AI. \n\n\n\nSpeaker: Thomas Wolf\, Co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Hugging Face \n\n\n\nModerator: Pierre-Alex Balland\, Visiting Fellow at the Growth Lab\, and Chief Data Scientist at the Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS) \n\n\n\nWhether attending in person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is permitted for the Harvard community. The Zoom session is open to the public. \n\n\n\nThe Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states\, and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n Share URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/ai-and-economic-development-opportunities-challenges-and-policy-implications/ LOCATION:Allison Dining Room (T-520) CATEGORIES:Development Talks,Hybrid ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/thom-wolf-professional_headshot-copy64.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250327T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250327T130000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20250312T194800Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175437Z UID:14918-1743076800-1743080400@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Growth Lab Development Talk - Green Steel in Namibia: Progress Report Summary DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. Speaker: James Mnyupe\, Presidential Economic Advisor and Hydrogen Commissioner\, Government of The Republic of Namibia Moderator: Ketan Ahuja\, Growth Lab Research Fellow About the Talk: James Mnyupe will speak about his work in Namibia setting up an industrial ecosystem around green hydrogen production\, and related industries. He will discuss a pilot project involving direct reduced iron production using green hydrogen that is currently being commissioned. The speaker invites attendees to watch this video before the event. Whether attending in person or online\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Buffet lunch will be served. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. \nAbout the Speaker: Mr. Mnyupe is a multidisciplinary financial professional with a background in accounting\, asset management and wealth management. A graduate of UNAM and Rhodes University\, Mr. Mnyupe plied his trade in the private sector for over a decade auditing a wide variety of companies in all three sectors of the Namibian economy and undertook extensive research on listed securities on the local stock exchange. He led one of Namibia’s prominent asset management firms for five years\, was the Founding Chair of the Namibia Savings and Investment Association\, was appointed to the High-Level Panel on the Namibian Economy in 2019 by President Hage Geingob and holds the CA\, CFA and CFP designations. Mr Mnyupe possesses a holistic appreciation for how the capital and institutional savings markets intertwine to drive Namibia’s economic and developmental agenda. His involvement in various industry and national bodies have offered him a unique perspective from which to contribute to various dialogues and initiatives that look to deploy said assets across various opportunity sets\, locally and regionally more effectively. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/growth-lab-development-talk-green-steel-in-namibia-progress-report-summary/ LOCATION:Allison Dining Room (T-520) CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241205T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241205T140000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20241126T174500Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175437Z UID:14896-1733403600-1733407200@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Diversifying from Oil: Aspirations and Results of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. Speaker: Ziad Daoud\, Chief Emerging Markets Economist at Bloomberg LP\, Senior Fellow with the Middle East Initiative at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs Moderator: Tim Cheston\, Senior Manager\, Applied Research\, Growth Lab About the Talk: One of the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 is to diversify the Saudi economy away from oil. In this event\, Ziad Daoud\, Chief Emerging Markets Economist at Bloomberg LP\, will analyze the results of Saudi diversification efforts and whether Saudi Vision 2030 is succeeding in decreasing the economy’s reliance on oil revenue. Tim Cheston\, Senior Manager at the Growth Lab\, will follow with a discussion on the challenges to economic diversification in an oil economy. Whether attending in person or online\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Buffet lunch will be served. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. \nAbout the Speaker: Ziad Daoud is a Senior Fellow with the Middle East Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He is the Chief Emerging Markets Economist at Bloomberg. Prior to that\, he was the Chief Middle East Economist at Bloomberg\, Head of Economics at QNB Group\, and an economist at Fulcrum Asset Management. He holds a PhD in economics from the London School of Economics and a BSc in economics and statistics from University College London.     URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/diversifying-from-oil-aspirations-and-results-of-saudi-arabias-vision-2030/ LOCATION:HYBRID WEXNER L-230\, HKS / Zoom CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241203T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241203T140000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20241122T204400Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T180101Z UID:14814-1733230800-1733234400@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Can South Africa's Government of National Unity Deliver? DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. Speaker: Ann Bernstein\, Executive Director\, Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) About the Talk: For the past year\, the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) has been working on a major initiative\, AGENDA 2024: Priorities for South Africa’s new government. It sets out to answer what is by far the most important question facing the country: What can the new government do to get the country back on track after 15 years of stagnation and decline? This initiative builds on the Growth Lab’s Growth through Inclusion in South Africa project that was supported by CDE between 2021 and 2023. In this talk\, Ann Bernstein will discuss South Africa and the government of national unity (GNU) that was formed following the May 2024 general election. Whether attending in person or online\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Buffet lunch will be served. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. \nAbout the Speaker: Ann Bernstein heads the Centre for Development and Enterprise\, South Africa. An independent think tank CDE is South Africa’s leading development policy centre\, with a special focus on growth\, jobs\, education\, cities and the role of business. Member of the Transition Team\, then the Board of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (1994 – 2001). Fellow\, National Endowment for Democracy\, Washington DC (2005). Public Policy Scholar\, Woodrow Wilson Center\, Washington DC\, 2013. Board member Brenthurst Foundation 2007-2017. In 2008 and 2009 invited African faculty member\, World Economic Forum\, Davos. Invited Fellow Bellagio Center\, Rockefeller Foundation 2016. Her book\, The Case for Business in Developing Economies (Penguin 2010) received favourable reviews in South African media\, the Economist\, Financial Times\, Forbes and elsewhere. The book won the Sir Anthony Fisher Award 2012\, Atlas Research Foundation\, Washington DC. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/can-south-africas-government-of-national-unity-deliver/ LOCATION:HYBRID – Zoom / Wexner W-434AB CATEGORIES:Development Talks,Growth Lab END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241030T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241030T130000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20241001T194900Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260403T165945Z UID:14880-1730289600-1730293200@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk: Solving the Impossible Problem of Sovereign Debt Restructuring DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. \nSpeaker: Gregory Makoff\, M-RCBG Senior Fellow\, Author \nModerator: José Ignacio Hernandez\, Former Visiting Fellow\, Growth Lab \nAbout the Talk: Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government Senior Fellow Gregory Makoff will talk about sovereign debt restructuring. Drawing lessons from Argentina’s 15-year battle with its creditors following its 2001 default on $100 billion on debt\, Dr. Makoff will discuss the two central challenges of sovereign debt: the “holdout creditor problem” and the problem of designing an effective resolution system while respecting the sovereignty of the country. He will also discuss his current research into whether the current informal system of sovereign debt restructuring is adequate or whether a formal international debt court will eventually be needed. \nWhether attending in person or online\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Buffet lunch will be served. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. \nAbout the Speaker: Gregory Makoff is the author of Default: The Landmark Court Battle over Argentina’s $100 Billion Debt Restructuring. Prior to writing the book Gregory was an investment banker specializing in liability management and debt restructuring (1993-2014) and worked as a Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. Treasury (2015-2016).  Currently\, he is a senior fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School and\, since 2015\, has been a non-resident senior fellow writing about sovereign debt at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI)\, a think tank based in Waterloo Canada. Gregory holds a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Chicago (1993) and B.Sc. degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in physics and political science (1986). Gregory is also a CFA® charter holder. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-solving-the-impossible-problem-of-sovereign-debt-restructuring/ LOCATION:HYBRID Democracy Lab R414AB / Zoom CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240723T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240723T120000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20240711T233100Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T001220Z UID:14883-1721732400-1721736000@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk: Using Economic Complexity for Policymaking - The Case of Córdoba\, Argentina DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. This event is online only. Please register in advance. Speakers: Andrés Michel\, Secretary of Economic Policy in the Government of the Province of CórdobaPaula Luvini\, Researcher in the Data Science Area at FundarMatías Gutman\, Coordinator in the Productive Policy Area at Fundar About the talk: Córdoba\, the second largest city in Argentina\, is a major tech and education hub with significant potential to attract new industries. However\, the complexity of the city’s export basket is an important question. The Government of Córdoba and the think tank Fundar conducted a study to explore opportunities for designing a productive development strategy and policy for the city. Economic Complexity is a key tool in this process\, helping to identify sectors with the most potential and to create evidence-based public policies. To achieve this goal\, new data on provincial exports and local firms was used. Using secondary sources and web scraping\, a new geolocated database of export firms and their goods was created. This database was then used to recalculate the complexity indexes at the city level. As a result\, 28 products with potential for Córdoba were selected and grouped into three categories: Machinery\, Food and Beverages\, and others. The Economic Complexity approach is valuable\, leveraging current export data to formulate a concrete plan for future growth. It highlights existing sectors that need improvement and modernization\, as well as strategic sectors that are currently underrepresented but have potential to contribute. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-using-economic-complexity-for-policymaking-the-case-of-cordoba-argentina/ LOCATION:Online/Zoom CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240422T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240422T130000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20240402T181600Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T000658Z UID:14865-1713787200-1713790800@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk - Banking on Colombia’s Development: Innovation and Growth at Bancoldex DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy.  Speaker: Javier Díaz Fajardo\, President and CEO of Bancóldex Moderator: Juan Jimenez\, Lecturer in Public Policy\, HKS This session will focus on Innovation and Growth at Bancoldex\, Colombia’s entrepreneurial development and export-import bank.   Whether attending in-person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. Boxed lunch will be provided after the event. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. Speaker Bio: Javier Díaz Fajardo has thirty years of experience in financial markets. His work in this field includes management positions in New York\, Washington and Colombia. He has been president of Bancóldex\, Colombia’s business development bank\, since 2019. During this time\, he has led the growth of the entity\, exceeding $10 billion in total assets\, and has transformed the entity’s business model\, going from being a second-tier bank for commercial banking to one that provides direct credit to Colombian companies with an emphasis on innovation\, sustainability and digital transformation. In October 2023\, he was appointed co-president of the Development Banks Club (IDFC)\, an organization made up of 26 development institutions from around the world. Previously\, he was CEO of Renta 4 Global Fiduciaria\, an asset management startup (subsidiary of the Spanish bank Renta4). Until 2017 he was Commercial Vice President and Vice President Corporate of the Colombian Stock Exchange\, where he designed and completed the initial financing for a2censo\, a fintech that allows Colombian micro\, small and medium-sized companies to issue bonds to investors through crowdfunding.Diaz Fajardo holds a Master’s degree in International Business from The Fletcher School at Tufts University and a law degree from the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia. In addition\, he is a member of the Society of Kauffman Fellows\, the main venture capital and entrepreneurship network in Silicon Valley\, and is a founding member of the Colombian Institute of Corporate Governance. He has served on 10 boards of directors and taught the class “Financial System: History\, Strategy and Leadership” at CESA\, Colombia’s main business school. He also served as Vice President of Investor Relations at Grupo Aval\, Colombia’s largest financial group\, and was a director of Andes Capital\, a Colombian venture capital fund that he co-founded.    URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-banking-on-colombias-development-innovation-and-growth-at-bancoldex/ LOCATION:HYBRID R-306\, HKS / Zoom CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240327T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240327T130000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20240308T004200Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T000810Z UID:14871-1711540800-1711544400@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk: Economic Gardening and Capitalism’s Conundrum DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. This event is co-sponsored with the Taubman Center for State & Local Government. Speaker: Christian Gibbons\, founder of the National Center for Economic Gardening (NCEG) and creator of “Economic Gardening\,” an entrepreneurial approach to economic development. Moderator: Lara Gale\, Economic Development Program Manager\, Taubman Center for State & Local Government. This session will be an interactive discussion of capitalism’ conundrum and the role of Economic Gardening- an entrepreneurial\, grow-your-own approach to economic development.  Economic Gardening is based in part on the science of complex adaptive systems\, systems theory and Stage 2 companies with a focus on commodity traps.  Whether attending in-person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. Lunch will be provided. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. Speaker Bio: Chris Gibbons is the founder of the National Center for Economic Gardening (NCEG).  He is the creator of “Economic Gardening\,” an entrepreneurial approach to economic development.  The program\, created in Littleton CO in 1987\, is widely regarded as introducing the first entrepreneurial element into economic development.  It is a major strategy used in many economic development programs today. From the period 1990 to 2010 the number of jobs in Littleton doubled from 15\,000 to 30\,000 and sales tax revenues more than tripled from $6 to $21 million.  The city did not recruit one business during this period\, nor did it offer one cent in incentives or tax rebates. The NCEG was created in 2012 to assist communities across the country to start and operate Economic Gardening programs.       URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-economic-gardening-and-capitalisms-conundrum/ LOCATION:HYBRID T-520 NYE BC\, HKS / Zoom (registration information below) CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240201T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240201T140000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20240112T224700Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175436Z UID:14875-1706792400-1706796000@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk: How Can Wall Street Avoid Funding Dictators? DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy.Speaker: Marcos Buscaglia\, Economist\, Former Wall Street Analyst and Emerging Markets Expert Moderator: Javier Murcio\, Director\, Emerging Markets; Portfolio Manager and Senior Sovereign Analyst at Standish and ex-JP Morgan Whether attending in-person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. Lunch will be provided. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. About the Speaker: Marcos Buscaglia has more than 30 years doing research on the economies of Emerging Market countries and advising Wall Street companies. He is also emerging as a leading voice on the topic of markets and democracy. He is the founder of Alberdi Partners\, a consultancy firm dedicated to political\, economic and market analysis of Latin American countries. Buscaglia was for five years chief Latin America economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York and ranked #1 in the Institutional Investor rankings in the categories Latin America economics and Argentina in 2015. He also served as chief economist for Latin America at Citibank in New York\, and as chief economist for the Southern Cone countries at Citibank\, based in Buenos Aires.   URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-how-can-wall-street-avoid-funding-dictators/ LOCATION:HYBRID Democracy Lab\, HKS / Zoom CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231030T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231030T150000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20231017T171400Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T000734Z UID:14868-1698674400-1698678000@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk: Building Inclusive Cities DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. Speaker: Carel Kleynhans\, CEO of Divercity Property Group Moderator: LaChaun Banks\, Ash Center Director for Equity and Inclusion Divercity Property Group is South Africa’s leading investor in well-located affordable housing precincts: Divercity invests in affordable rental housing in well-located urban precincts with scale. In this talk\, Carel Kleynhans will discuss specifically what Divercity does in South Africa and why they think that a new vision for urban development that is scalable and commercially viable can really be an instrumental part of addressing  any one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals or any other developmental outcome.  Location: HYBRID W434 A.B\, HKS / Zoom Whether attending in-person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. Refreshments will be provided. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-building-inclusive-cities/ LOCATION:HYBRID W434 A.B.\, HKS / Zoom CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231024T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231024T130000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20231016T230300Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175436Z UID:14962-1698148800-1698152400@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Navigating Crisis and Leading Change in Moldova with Former Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. Speaker: Natalia Gavrilita\, Former Prime Minister of Moldova Moderator: Karen Donfried\, Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and former Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Whether attending in-person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. Lunch will be provided. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. \nAbout the Speaker:  Natalia Gavrilița is a member of the Supervisory Board of the National Bank of Moldova\, as well as member of the ECFR Board. Natalia Gavrilița served as the 15th Prime Minister of Moldova between August 2021 and February 2023. She led the Government through multiple overlapping crises caused by the war in neighbouring Ukraine\, while also advancing ambitious anti-corruption\, economic\, and governance reforms. During her time in office\, Moldova received the largest influx of Ukrainian refugees of any European country\, managed to diversify its energy market away from Russian gas\, and became a candidate country to the European Union. Gavrilița has had a long history in economics and politics. She served as finance minister from June 2019 to November 2019 when President Maia Sandu was Prime Minister. Earlier in her career\, she was Managing Director at the London-based Global Innovation Fund\, a hybrid investment fund supporting social innovation in developing countries. She has also worked within the Ministry of Education\, Ministry of Economy and for Oxford Policy Management. Throughout her career\, she has worked in a number of countries across Africa\, Central and South Asia. Gavrilița graduated from Moldova State University with a bachelor’s degree in International Law and also earned a master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/navigating-crisis-and-leading-change-in-moldova-with-former-prime-minister-natalia-gavrilita/ LOCATION:HYBRID T520\, Allison Dining Room\, HKS / Zoom CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231023T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231023T190000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20231016T195900Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175436Z UID:15073-1698084000-1698087600@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:The Wild\, Wild West: What Can We Learn From The Cowboy State? DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. Speaker: Gov. Mark Gordon (R-Wyoming) Governor Gordon serves as the current chair of the Western Governors’ Association\, which includes 19 western states and three U.S. territories in the Pacific region\, working across a range of policy issues to advance western priorities in a bipartisan way. Governor Gordon’s initiative as WGA Chair is entitled “Decarbonizing the West\,” and this initiative follows in a tradition of initiatives focused on energy opportunities\, effective land and water management\, and reimagining the rural west. This discussion is co-sponsored by the Growth Lab and its Pathways to Prosperity research engagement with the State of Wyoming. The conversation is expected to touch upon numerous challenges and opportunities facing Wyoming and western states. Moderator: Jeff Liebman\, Director of the Taubman Center for State and Local Government Please register if you would like the possibility of attending the Forum in person. If a seat is unavailable or you will not be attending in person\, viewers can stream the event live via the IOP’s YouTube page. You do not need to register for virtual attendance. About the speaker: \nMark Gordon was elected Wyoming’s 33rd Governor in 2018 and is now serving in his second term. In 2022\, Governor Gordon received 79% of the vote\, the largest margin of victory of any gubernatorial candidate in Wyoming’s history and the largest vote margin among governors elected in that year. Having successfully led Wyoming through some historically difficult times including the COVID-19 pandemic\, Governor Gordon is spearheading efforts to diversify Wyoming’s economy and continue to set Wyoming on a sustainable fiscal path — which he helped to strengthen as Wyoming State Treasurer from October 2012 to January 2019. He and his wife\, Jennie\, are dedicated to making Wyoming the best place in the nation to raise a family. Having grown up on a family ranch in Kaycee\, Wyoming\, worked in the oil and gas industry\, and ran several businesses spanning ranching\, outdoor recreation\, and tourism\, Governor Gordon is acutely aware of the challenge of global climate change and has been outspoken about the “climate opportunity” in Wyoming and across the West. He promotes an all-of-the-above energy strategy\, as Wyoming is a leader in coal\, wind\, oil\, gas and uranium production. At a recent Conservative Climate Summit\, Governor Gordon was quoted as saying\,  “As a mountaineer\, I know that glaciers are disappearing. As a rancher\, I can see what’s happening to our farms. As someone who cares about the world for our future\, as a conservative\, I feel very strongly that this country needs to get off its butt and do so with honesty and a respect for what’s happening.” URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/the-wild-wild-west-what-can-we-learn-from-the-cowboy-state/ LOCATION:JFK Jr. Forum / YouTube CATEGORIES:Development Talks,Growth Lab END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230908T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230908T131500 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20230830T013600Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175435Z UID:14866-1694174400-1694178900@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk: A Conversation with Indermit Gill\, Chief Economist of the World Bank DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. Speaker: Indermit Gill\, Chief Economist of the World Bank Group and Senior Vice President for Development Economics Moderator: Dany Bahar\, Associate Professor\, Brown University’s Watson Institute; Senior Research Fellow\, Growth Lab Whether attending in-person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. Lunch will be provided. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. \nAbout the speaker: Indermit Gill is Chief Economist of the World Bank Group and Senior Vice President for Development Economics. He brings to the role a broad combination of leadership\, expertise\, and practical experience working with governments on macroeconomic imbalances\, growth\, poverty\, institutions\, conflict\, and climate change. Before starting this position on September 1\, 2022\, Gill served as the World Bank’s Vice President for Equitable Growth\, Finance\, and Institutions\, where he played a key role in shaping the Bank’s response to the extraordinary series of shocks that have hit developing economies since 2020. Between 2016 and 2021\, he was a professor of public policy at Duke University and non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Global Economy and Development program. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-a-conversation-with-indermit-gill-chief-economist-of-the-world-bank/ LOCATION:Malkin Penthouse / Zoom (registration info below) CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230419T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230419T170000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20230407T213000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175435Z UID:14881-1681920000-1681923600@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk: The Political Economy of the Postwar Reconstruction of Ukraine DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working in economic development. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both the practice of development and analytical work centered on policy.Speaker: Vladyslav Rashkovan\, Alternate Executive Director\, International Monetary FundModerator: Konstantin Usov\, Acting Deputy Mayor of Kyiv\, HKS MC/MPA 2023 Whether attending in-person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. \nAbout the speaker: Vladyslav Rashkovan became a member of the International Monetary Fund Executive Board in February 2017. As an Alternate Executive Director\, Vladyslav represents Ukraine and 15 other European countries. Previously\, Vladyslav had a prominent banking career\, serving as a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Ukraine and being responsible for the banking sector reforms and central bank transformation. Before joining the NBU in 2014\, Vladyslav occupied the position of Chief Financial Officer of UniCredit Bank in Ukraine\, also being engaged in the leadership of the Group turnaround projects in Central and Eastern Europe. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine\, Vladyslav stands at the center of many international projects to provide financial support to Ukraine and plan its post-war reconstruction and modernization. He also serves as a member of the International Advisory Panel for the National Recovery Council. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-the-political-economy-of-the-postwar-reconstruction-of-ukraine/ LOCATION:Nye A\, Zoom (registration information below) CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230418T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230418T130000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20230406T235200Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175435Z UID:14877-1681819200-1681822800@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk: Investment in the Energy Transition / Global and Domestic Dimensions DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working in economic development. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both the practice of development and analytical work centered on policy. Speaker: Suman Bery\, Vice Chairperson\, National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog Moderator: Akshay Mathur\, Edward S. Mason Fellow\, Harvard Kennedy School Opening remarks: Ricardo Hausmann\, Director\, Growth Lab\, and Rafik Hariri Professor of the Practice of International Political Economy\, HKS Whether attending in-person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. Boxed lunch will be provided at the end of the seminar.  \nAbout the speaker: Mr. Suman Bery is currently Vice Chairperson\, NITI Aayog\, in the rank and status of a Cabinet Minister. An experienced policy economist and research administrator\, Mr. Bery took over as NITI Aayog Vice Chairperson on May 1\, 2022. At the time of his appointment\, Mr. Bery was a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research\, New Delhi; a Global Fellow in the Asia Programme of the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars in Washington D.C.; and a non-resident fellow at Bruegel\, an economic policy research institution in Brussels. He was also a member of the Board of the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation\, New Delhi.From early 2012 till mid-2016\, Mr. Bery was Royal Dutch Shell’s global Chief Economist based in The Hague. In this capacity\, he advised the board and management on global economic and political developments. He was also part of the senior leadership of Shell’s global scenarios group. During his time at Shell\, he led a collaborative project with Indian think tanks (later published) to apply scenario modeling to India’s energy sector. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-investment-in-the-energy-transition-global-and-domestic-dimensions/ LOCATION:L-230 Gundle Family Classroom / Zoom CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230417T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230417T131500 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20230404T000600Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175434Z UID:14872-1681732800-1681737300@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk: Economic Policymaking in a World of Deep Disorder DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working in economic development. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both the practice of development and analytical work centered on policy.Speaker: Mamo Mihretu\, Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia\, HKS MPA 2009Moderator: Pablo Andrés Neumeyer\, Professor of Economics\, Universidad Torcuato Di TellaWhether attending in-person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. Lunch will be provided. \nAbout the speaker: Mamo E. Mihretu is the 10th Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE). As the central bank\, the primary objective of NBE is to maintain price stability\, health and proper functioning of the financial services industry. Before he was appointed as the Governor of NBE\, Mr. Mihretu served as the founding CEO of the Ethiopian Investment Holdings\, the strategic investment arm of the Government of Ethiopia. EIH manages all key commercial companies of the Government of Ethiopia\, such as Ethiopian Airlines and Ethio Telecom. Mr. Mihretu is a member of Ethiopia’s Macroeconomic Council\, which is the body that steers economic policy and strategic decisions.  Mr. Mihretu obtained a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School. He also holds a post-graduate degree in Trade and Investment from the Universities of Pretoria and Amsterdam. He was a gold medalist when he graduated from Addis Ababa University\, School of Law. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-economic-policymaking-in-a-world-of-deep-disorder/ LOCATION:Malkin Penthouse / Zoom (registration info below) CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230413T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230413T130000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20230330T183500Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175434Z UID:14874-1681387200-1681390800@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk: Greening Economic Development / What Does It Take? DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working in economic development. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both the practice of development and analytical work centered on policy. Speaker: Amir Lebdioui\, Assistant Professor in the Political Economy of Development\, SOAS University of London Moderator: Ketan Ahuja\, Research Fellow\, Growth Lab What does it take to align economic development with ecological sustainability? Is industrial development still the optimal pathway to poverty reduction? What does a climate-smart industrial policy look like? Why are the factors of success in the implementing of green industrial policy for latecomers? What does an economic development agenda look like for biodiverse nations? Drawing on recent research and policy work\, this talk will address how governments can cope with the changing optimal pathways to economic development\, and explain the type of joined-up policy approach needed to use the decarbonization agenda as a lever to diversify economies\, leave the commodity dependence trap behind\, and increasing macroeconomic resilience. Whether attending in-person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. Lunch will be provided. \nAbout the speaker: Dr. Amir Lebdioui is an Algerian development economist and lecturer in the Political Economy of Development at SOAS\, University of London. Before joining SOAS\, Amir was based at the London School of Economics (LSE) where he led the Canning House Research Forum\, a research and policy engagement program on the Future of Trade in Latin America. His research has focused on the economic diversification of resource-dependent nations\, low carbon innovation\, biodiversity-based innovation\, and industrialization in the context of climate change. Amir also regularly advises governments and international institutions on industrial policy strategies. He serves on the advisory council of the Natural Resource Governance Institute\, as member of the African Climate Foundation (ACF) and as a non-resident fellow of the Africa Policy Research Institute. He holds an MPhil and PhD in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-greening-economic-development-what-does-it-take/ LOCATION:Bell Hall (B-500) / Zoom (registration information below) CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230404T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230404T130000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20230323T005700Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175434Z UID:14867-1680609600-1680613200@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk: Access to Power / Electricity and the Infrastructural State in Pakistan DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working in economic development. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both the practice of development and analytical work centered on policy.Speaker: Ijlal Naqvi\, Associate Professor of Sociology and Associate Dean (Curriculum and Teaching) at the School of Social Sciences of Singapore Management UniversityProf. Naqvi will discuss his new book “Access to Power: Electricity and the Infrastructural State in Pakistan\,” which explores state capacity in Pakistan by following the material infrastructure of electricity across the provinces and down into cities and homes.Moderator: Abdurrehman Naveed\, HKS MPP 2023Whether attending in-person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. Lunch will be provided. This talk is co-sponsored by the HKS South Asia Caucus.  \nAbout the speaker: Ijlal Naqvi is Associate Professor of Sociology and Associate Dean (Curriculum and Teaching) at the School of Social Sciences of Singapore Management University. He studies governance and development in the Global South\, using infrastructure as a lens on state-building and the citizen’s engagement with the state on an everyday basis. His book Access to Power: Electricity and the Infrastructural State in Pakistan was published by Oxford University Press (2022). Ijlal’s research has been published in Energy Research and Social Science\, Journal of Development Studies\, Urban Studies\, Journal of Democracy\, and Current Sociology. Ijlal earned his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-access-to-power-electricity-and-the-infrastructural-state-in-pakistan/ LOCATION:Nye C\, Zoom (registration information below) CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230323T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230323T131500 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20230314T182100Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T000758Z UID:14870-1679572800-1679577300@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk: Easy to Say\, Hard to Do / Leading Economic Change in Wyoming DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working in economic development. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both the practice of development and analytical work centered on policy. Speaker: Josh Dorrell\, CEO\, Wyoming Business Council Moderator: Gordon Hanson\, Peter Wertheim Professor in Urban Policy\, HKS Whether attending in-person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. Lunch will be provided. As CEO of the Wyoming Business Council\, Josh Dorrell provides leadership and strategic direction in the state’s economic development strategy. In this talk\, Josh will discuss the growth challenges in Wyoming\, and how a research collaboration with the Growth Lab is helping them outline pathways to sustainable growth\, jobs\, and prosperity.   URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-easy-to-say-hard-to-do-leading-economic-change-in-wyoming/ LOCATION:Location: Democracy Lab (R-414) (Harvard Community) / Zoom CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230221T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230221T140000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20230206T193500Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175434Z UID:14878-1676984400-1676988000@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk: Order Without Design / Rethinking the Role of Government in City Development DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s Development Talks is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working in international development. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both the practice of development and analytical work centered on policy. Speaker: Alain Bertaud\, Senior Fellow\, New York University’s Marron Institute of Urban Management; Distinguished Visiting Fellow\, Mercatus Center\, George Mason University.Moderator: Diane E. Davis\, Charles Dyer Norton Professor of Regional Planning and Urbanism\, Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. Whether attending in-person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. Lunch will be provided. Please arrive at 11:45 am to allow for lunch\, seating\, and a prompt start at 12 pm. \nAbout the speaker: Alain Bertaud is a Senior Fellow at New York University’s Marron Institute of Urban Management and Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. From 2014 to 2020\, he taught a graduate course at NYU in urban economic planning\, “Markets\, Design\, and the City.” In his book\, “Order without Design: How Markets Shape Cities\,” published by MIT Press in November 2018\, he argues that a city’s chief attraction resides first in the people already living in it. People and firms\, through markets\, create a spontaneous order. The top-down design infrastructure that serves this spontaneous order\, not the other way around. Cities are primarily labor markets that form the substructure on which all the other social amenities are built. Bertaud previously held the position of principal urban planner at the World Bank\, where he worked on developing housing projects in India\, Pakistan\, and Bangladesh.   URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-order-without-design-rethinking-the-role-of-government-in-city-development/ LOCATION:Nye B&C (T-520) / Zoom (registration information below) CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221201T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221201T140000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20221116T233200Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175434Z UID:14902-1669899600-1669903200@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Export Diversification Strategy: The Case of Knowledge-Intensive Services in Costa Rica DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s Development Talks is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working in international development. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both the practice of development and analytical work centered on policy. Speaker: Andres Valenciano\, John F. Kennedy Fellow\, HKS MC/MPA ’23 Moderator: Alejandro Rueda-Sanz\, Research Fellow\, Growth Lab Whether attending in-person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. Lunch will be provided. Please arrive at 11:45 am to allow for lunch\, seating\, and a prompt start at 12 pm. About the speaker: Andres is currently a John F. Kennedy Fellow at the MC/MPA program at Harvard Kennedy School. Previously he was the Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica\, responsible for Costa Rican foreign trade policies\, export promotion\, and attraction of foreign investment\, as well as the official representation before several multilateral organizations\, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO). During his tenure\, he was responsible for leading the final stage of the accession process for Costa Rica to become the 38th member of the OECD. In this period\, Costa Rica became the number one country in the world in greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction. Before becoming Minister\, Andres was the Executive President of the Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje\, where he oversaw technical and vocational education in Costa Rica and led the most important and far-reaching transformation the organization has undergone since its foundation in 1965. Previously\, he was Executive Director of local and international NGOs\, and worked in education\, health\, social housing\, and economic development projects in over 12 countries in 3 continents\, in partnership with IADB\, UNDP\, PAHO\, ILO\, among others. Andres is an Industrial Engineer from the University of Costa Rica\, with a Master’s degree in International Business from The Fletcher School – Tufts University\, and a Lee Kuan Yew School Senior Fellow from the National University of Singapore. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/export-diversification-strategy-the-case-of-knowledge-intensive-services-in-costa-rica/ LOCATION:Wexner 434 AB\, Zoom (registration information below) CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221108T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221108T140000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20221101T225300Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175433Z UID:14869-1667912400-1667916000@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk: Culture\, Psychology and Economic Development DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s Development Talks is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working in international development. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both the practice of development and analytical work centered on policy. Speaker: Joseph Henrich\, Ruth Moore Professor\, Department of Human Evolutionary Biology\, Harvard University Moderator: Eliana La Ferrara\, Professor of Public Policy\, Harvard Kennedy School Whether attending in-person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. Lunch will be provided. Please arrive at 11:45 am to allow for lunch\, seating\, and a prompt start at 12 pm. About the speaker: Dr. Henrich is currently the Ruth Moore Professor of Biological Anthropology in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. Before moving to Harvard\, he was a professor of both Economics and Psychology at the University of British Columbia for nearly a decade\, where he held the Canada Research Chair in Culture\, Cognition and Coevolution. His research deploys evolutionary theory to understand how human psychology gives rise to cultural evolution and how this has shaped our species’ genetic evolution. Using insights generated from this approach\, Professor Henrich has explored a variety of topics\, including economic decision-making\, social norms\, fairness\, religion\, marriage\, prestige\, cooperation and innovation. In 2016\, he published The Secret of Our Success (Princeton) and in 2020\, The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West became psychologically peculiar and particularly prosperous (FSG). URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-culture-psychology-and-economic-development/ LOCATION:Rubenstein 414 AB / Zoom CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221102T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221102T130000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20221021T220800Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175433Z UID:14879-1667390400-1667394000@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk: Political Favoritism and Regime Stability - Why Bad Policy is Almost Always Good Politics DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s Development Talks is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working in international development. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both the practice of development and analytical work centered on policy.  Speakers:Bruce Bueno de Mesquita\, Silver Professor; Professor of Politics\, New York UniversityAlastair Smith\, Bernhardt Denmark Professor of International Relations\, New York University Moderator: José Morales-Arilla\, Research Fellow\, Growth Lab; Postdoctoral Fellow\, Department of Politics\, Princeton University Whether attending in-person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. Lunch will be provided. Please arrive at 11:45am to allow for lunch\, seating\, and a prompt start at 12pm. About the speakers \nBruce Bueno de Mesquita is an emeritus senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and the Silver Professor of Politics at New York University (NYU). An expert on foreign policy and nation building\, his current research focuses on political institutions\, economic growth\, and political change. He is also known for his research on policy forecasting for national security and for business concerns.   \nAlastair Smith is the Bernhardt Denmark Chair of International Relations at New York University and a professor of political science in the Wilf Family Department of Politics. He has a PhD in political science from the University of Rochester and a BA in Chemistry from the University of Oxford. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-political-favoritism-and-regime-stability-why-bad-policy-is-almost-always-good-politics/ LOCATION:T-520 Allison Dining Room\, Zoom (registration information below) CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221031T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221031T130000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20221013T184000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175433Z UID:14882-1667217600-1667221200@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk: The Role of Business in South Africa's Future DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s Development Talks is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working in international development. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both the practice of development and analytical work centered on policy. This event is co-sponsored by Harvard’s Center for African Studies.  Speaker: Ann Bernstein\, Executive Director\, Centre for Development and Enterprise\, South Africa Moderator: Soraya Mohideen\, Harvard South Africa Fellow\, HKS Mid-Career MPA ’23 Whether attending in-person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is limited to the Harvard community. Seating availability is based on a first-come\, first-served basis. The Zoom webinar is open to the public. Lunch will be provided. Please arrive at 11:45am to allow for lunch\, seating\, and a prompt start at 12pm. \nAbout the speaker: Ann Bernstein heads the Centre for Development and Enterprise\, South Africa. An independent think tank CDE is South Africa’s leading development policy centre\, with a special focus on growth\, jobs\, education\, cities and the role of business. Member of the Transition Team\, then the Board of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (1994 – 2001). Fellow\, National Endowment for Democracy\, Washington DC (2005). Public Policy Scholar\, Woodrow Wilson Center\, Washington DC\, 2013. Board member Brenthurst Foundation 2007-2017. In 2008 and 2009 invited African faculty member\, World Economic Forum\, Davos. Invited Fellow Bellagio Center\, Rockefeller Foundation 2016. Her book\, The Case for Business in Developing Economies (Penguin 2010) received favourable reviews in South African media\, the Economist\, Financial Times\, Forbes and elsewhere. The book won the Sir Anthony Fisher Award 2012\, Atlas Research Foundation\, Washington DC. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-the-role-of-business-in-south-africas-future/ LOCATION:Wexner 434 AB\, Zoom (registration information below) CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221019T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221019T130000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20221007T013800Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175432Z UID:14873-1666180800-1666184400@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk: Gambling on Development / The Role of Local Elites in a Growth-based Future DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s Development Talks is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working in international development. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both the practice of development and analytical work centered on policy.Speaker: Stefan Dercon\, Professor of Economic Policy\, Oxford’s Blavatnik School of GovernmentModerator: Clement Brenot\, Research Manager\, Growth Lab Prof. Dercon’s latest book\, Gambling on Development: Why some countries win and others lose  draws on his academic research as well as his policy experience across three decades and 40-odd countries\, exploring why some countries have managed to settle on elite bargains favoring growth and development\, and others did not. Please register in advance\, and contact Chuck McKenney with any questions. \nAbout the speaker: Stefan Dercon is Professor of Economic Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government and the Economics Department\, and a Fellow of Jesus College. He is also Director of the Centre for the Study of African Economies. He combines his academic career with work as a policy advisor\, providing strategic economic and development advice\, and promoting the use of evidence in decision making. Between 2011 and 2017\, he was Chief Economist of the Department of International Development (DFID)\, the government department in charge with the UK’s aid policy and spending. Between 2020-2022\, he was the Development Policy Advisor to successive Foreign Secretaries at the UK’s Foreign\, Commonwealth and Development Office.  His research interests concern what keeps some people and countries poor: the failures of markets\, governments and politics\, mainly in Africa\, and how to achieve change.    URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-gambling-on-development-the-role-of-local-elites-in-a-growth-based-future/ LOCATION:Zoom (registration information below) CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220920T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220920T130000 DTSTAMP:20260409T125930 CREATED:20220816T221600Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175432Z UID:14876-1663675200-1663678800@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Talk: In Search of the Promised Land - Mobility and Economic Outcomes in the Age of Mass Migration DESCRIPTION:The Growth Lab’s Development Talks is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working in international development. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both the practice of development and analytical work centered on policy.  Speaker: Leah Boustan\, Professor of Economics\, Princeton University Moderator: Nikita Taniparti\, Research Manager\, Growth Lab Prof. Leah Boustan will discuss her work\, including her new book Streets of Gold: America’s Untold Story of Immigrant Success\, on the mass migration from Europe to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The discussion will address the prevailing narratives about the effects of migration and what that might suggest for policy design and debate.​​ Whether attending in-person or virtually\, please register in advance\, and contact Chuck McKenney with any questions. Non-Harvard attendees should review the HKS Visitor’s Policy.  \nAbout the speaker:  Leah Boustan is a Professor of Economics at Princeton University\, where she also serves as the Director of the Industrial Relations Section. Her research lies at the intersection between economic history and labor economics. Her first book\, Competition in the Promised Land: Black Migrants in Northern Cities and Labor Markets (Princeton University Press\, 2016) examines the effect of the Great Black Migration from the rural south during and after World War II. Her recent work\, including her new book Streets of Gold: America’s Untold Story of Immigrant Success (PublicAffairs 2022)\, is on the mass migration from Europe to the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  Professor Boustan is co-director of the Development of the American Economy Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research. She also serves as co-editor at the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics. Professor Boustan was named an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow in 2012 and won the IZA Young Labor Economists Award in 2019. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-talk-in-search-of-the-promised-land-mobility-and-economic-outcomes-in-the-age-of-mass-migration/ LOCATION:T-520 NYE A & Zoom CATEGORIES:Development Talks END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR