BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Growth Lab - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Growth Lab 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:20170312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20171105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20180311T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20181104T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20190310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20191103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20200308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20201101T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20191120T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191120T190000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20191115T214000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175428Z UID:14812-1574271000-1574276400@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:BSC Builds: Action Theatre for Public Policy Challenges & Civic Engagement DESCRIPTION:Presenter: Arianna Mazzeo\, Visiting Professor\, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences \n About the Workshop: Policymakers and citizens are struggling with big structural and complex problems such as climate change\, cultural\, economic and social inequality and the education gap between represented and underrepresented communities. In this workshop you will learn how to identify systemic challenges starting with your personal experience. Then in a group you will act and perform your challenge in a process of co-creation process with open-ended interpretations toward possible outcomes. You will learn how to understand performative behavior and decision-making for public policy challenges embodied by the problems and find outer creative expressions of co-production. Agency\, Responsibility\, and Civic Engagement will be the design principles to guide you in the experiential learning by doing through the body and the mind\, toward a transformation. Come ready to engage and dress comfortably. \n About the Presenter: Arianna introduces innovative design research and experimental pedagogies for social change. Through action theatre and multidisciplinary creative practice\, she mobilizes systemic change to activate new pedagogies\, addressing complex societal challenges and co-learning within underrepresented communities and place. She has worked in Cameroon\, Mexico\, Turkey\, Armenia\, and South Africa on social digital innovation programs and local government policy agenda\, in order to re-design and re-think design education. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/bsc-builds-action-theatre-for-public-policy-challenges-civic-engagement/ LOCATION:Taubman 520 CATEGORIES:Building State Capability END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20191119T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191119T152000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20191106T200000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175428Z UID:14864-1574172000-1574176800@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Development Beyond Crisis Response: The Evolution of the Growth Lab's Involvement in Albania DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Ricardo Hausmann\, Rafik Hariri Professor of the Practice of International Political Economy; Director\, Growth LabErmal Frasheri\, Senior Research Fellow\, Growth Lab Moderator: Ljubica Nedelkoska\, Postdoctoral Fellow\, Growth Lab About the Talk: Since 2013\, the Growth Lab has worked with the Government of Albania to identify policies that target country-specific binding constraints in order to promote strong\, sustainable and inclusive economic growth. Join Ricardo Hausmann and the Growth Lab’s Albania team in a conversation on how long-term engagement has shaped the project’s goals and outcomes. What differentiates the Growth Lab work in Albania? How has it evolved in response to country needs over time? What impact has the work had? What lessons can be learned from the engagement so far? What comes next for the Growth Lab in Albania? This event will discuss what our continuing work in Albania means for both this project and country policy engagements as a whole. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-beyond-crisis-response-the-evolution-of-the-growth-labs-involvement-in-albania/ LOCATION:Allison Dining Room\, Taubman 520 CATEGORIES:Growth Lab END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20191018T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191018T130000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20191011T185000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175428Z UID:14906-1571400000-1571403600@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Female Labor in Jordan: A Systematic Approach to the Exclusion Puzzle DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Semiray Kasoolu\, Research Fellow\, Growth Lab About the Talk: Women in Jordan are excluded from labor market opportunities at among the highest rates in the world. Previous efforts to explain this outcome have focused on specific\, isolated aspects of the problem and have not explained its persistence. After a careful review of the available literature and key stakeholder interviews in Jordan\, we develop a comprehensive framework to analyze the causes of low female employment rates and systematically test their validity. We find that the nature of low female inclusion in Jordan’s labor market varies significantly with educational attainment\, and identify evidence for different factors affecting different educational groups. Among women with high school education or less\, we report extremely low participation levels and find the strongest evidence for this phenomena tracing to traditional social norms and poor public transportation. Among university graduates and above\, we find that the problem is not one of participation but rather unemployment\, which we trace to a problem of a small and undiversified private sector that is unable to accommodate women’s needs for work and family balance. About the Speaker: Semiray Kasoolu has been a Research Fellow at the Center for International Development’s Growth Lab since 2017. Her research areas include labor markets and gender and growth diagnostics. She works in projects in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Prior to joining CID\, she worked with the World SME Forum in the Republic of Georgia to diagnose constraints to the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises and as an analyst at Goldman Sachs. Semiray holds a Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID\, 2017) from the Harvard Kennedy School. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/female-labor-in-jordan-a-systematic-approach-to-the-exclusion-puzzle/ LOCATION:Rubenstein 414\, HKS CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20191017T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191017T190000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20191011T185800Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175428Z UID:14936-1571335200-1571338800@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Learning Policy in Practice: Insights from Growth Lab Interns in Albania\, Saudi Arabia\, & Sri Lanka DESCRIPTION:Moderator: Daniela Muhaj\, Research Fellow\, Growth Lab Featuring HKS Students: Damian Galinsky (MPA/ID; Albania)\, Uriel Kejsefman (MPA/ID; Albania)\, Shivani Mishra (MPA/ID; Albania)\, Sarah Mousa (MPP; Saudi Arabia)\, David Franklin (MPA/ID; Sri Lanka) About the Discussion: This is the third and final panel discussion of the Growth Lab’s Learning Policy in Practice series\, featuring students who completed their 2019 summer internship in coordination with Growth Lab applied research projects. This event will feature stories from the field\, examples of engagements with government stakeholders\, as well as policy analysis and highlights from their analytical work from interns who worked in Albania\, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka. This is an opportunity to ask the students questions about working alongside policymakers in different contexts\, to understand current issues affecting economic growth in the countries’ where they worked\, and to learn about each intern’s unique internship experience through the Growth Lab. First-year students can expect to get a sense of summer internship opportunities\, and second year students will have a chance to share perspectives of their different experiences in international development. Pizza and refreshments will be provided!   URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/learning-policy-in-practice-insights-from-growth-lab-interns-in-albania-saudi-arabia-sri-lanka/ LOCATION:Wexner G-02\, HKS CATEGORIES:Growth Lab END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20191010T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191010T190000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20191001T183500Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175428Z UID:14938-1570730400-1570734000@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Learning Policy in Practice: Insights from Growth Lab Interns in Jordan DESCRIPTION:Moderator: Miguel Santos\, Director\, Applied Research\, Growth Lab; Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy\, HKSFeaturing MPA/ID Students: Mustafa Serbest\, Chatra Kamseng\, Abdulhamid Haidar About the Event: Join the 2019 Growth Lab Interns to learn about their summer experiences in Jordan. This panel discussion will feature stories from the field\, examples of engagements with government stakeholders\, as well as policy analysis and highlights from their analytical work. This is an opportunity to ask the interns specific questions about their summer\, to understand current issues affecting economic growth in Jordan\, and to learn about each intern’s unique internship experience through the Growth Lab. First year students can expect to get a sense of summer internship opportunities\, and second year students will have a chance to share perspectives of their different experiences in international development.  URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/learning-policy-in-practice-insights-from-growth-lab-interns-in-jordan/ LOCATION:WEX-G02 CATEGORIES:Growth Lab END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20191003T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191003T180000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20190924T221200Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175427Z UID:14937-1570122000-1570125600@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Learning Policy in Practice: Insights from Growth Lab Interns in Ethiopia DESCRIPTION:Moderator: Nikita Taniparti\, Research Fellow\, Growth LabPanel Speakers: Jason Keene; Apratim Gautam; Vishal Potluri About the Event: Join the 2019 Growth Lab Interns to learn about their summer experiences in Ethiopia. This panel discussion will feature stories from the field\, examples of engagements with government stakeholders\, as well as policy analysis and highlights from their analytical work. This is an opportunity to ask the interns specific questions about their summer\, to understand current issues affecting economic growth in Ethiopia\, and to learn about each intern’s unique internship experience through the Growth Lab. First year students can expect to get a sense of summer internship opportunities\, and second year students will have a chance to share perspectives of their different experiences in international development.  URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/learning-policy-in-practice-insights-from-growth-lab-interns-in-ethiopia/ LOCATION:WEX-G02 CATEGORIES:Growth Lab END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190918T161500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190918T173000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20190903T200300Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175427Z UID:14804-1568823300-1568827800@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Atlas of Economic Complexity: Country Profiles Launch & Livestream DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Ricardo Hausmann\, Rafiki Hariri Professor of the Practice of International Political Economy; Director\, Growth LabAnnie White\, Senior Product Manager\, Growth LabTim Cheston\, Senior Manager\, Applied Research\, Growth Lab \n About the Event: Join us for the launch of an exciting new tool to our Atlas of Economic Complexity: Country Profiles.  \n The Country Profiles are a new\, interactive journey through a country’s economic structure and growth patterns\, which reveals the strategy necessary to achieve greater prosperity. This first-of-its-kind platform revolutionizes how to think about economic strategy\, policy\, and investment opportunities for more than 130 countries.  \n Each Country Profile offers a step-by-step explanation of a country’s economic complexity – past\, present\, and future. Across 10 unique data visualizations\, this story-telling tool is both descriptive and predictive\, with analysis and insights that are entirely data-driven. \n The event will feature the research and technology behind the tool\, as well as an exclusive demonstration from our Atlas team.   \n Livestream the event on Twitter @HarvardGrwthLab! URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/atlas-of-economic-complexity-country-profiles-launch-livestream/ LOCATION:Wexner 436\, Fourth Floor\, HKS CATEGORIES:Growth Lab END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190426T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190426T130000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20190115T010100Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250909T235349Z UID:15069-1556280000-1556283600@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America. DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Andrés Reséndez\, Professor\, Department of History at University of California Davis; Author\, The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America. About the talk: The Other Slavery examines the system of bondage that targeted Native Americans\, a system that was every bit as terrible\, degrading\, and vast as African slavery. Anywhere between 2.5 and 5 million Native Americans may have been enslaved throughout the hemisphere in the centuries between the arrival of Columbus and the beginning of the 20th century.  And\, interestingly\, in contrast to African slavery which targeted mostly adult males\, the majority of these Indian slaves were women and children. About the Speaker: Andrés Reséndez is a professor of history and author. His specialties are early European exploration and colonization of the Americas\, the U.S-Mexico border region\, and the early history of the Pacific Ocean. His latest book\, The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt\, 2016)\, was a finalist for the 2016 National Book Award and winner of the 2017 California Book Awards in nonfiction and the 2017 Bancroft Prize from Columbia University. He teaches courses on food and history\, Latin America\, and Mexico. He is currently working on a new book provisionally titled Conquering the Pacific: The Story of How a Mulatto Pilot and a Friar-Mariner Learned to Navigate the Largest Ocean and Launched our Global World. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/the-other-slavery-the-uncovered-story-of-indian-enslavement-in-america/ LOCATION:Democracy Lab (R414 AB)\, Rubenstein Building 4th floor\, HKS CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190419T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190419T130000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20190115T005700Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175426Z UID:14901-1555675200-1555678800@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Empowering Women in South Asia’s Slums: The Challenges of Environmental Degradation DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Amit Patel\, Assistant Professor\, McCormack Graduate School for Policy and Global Studies\, University of Massachusetts BostonAmmar Malik\, Director\, EPoD Research About the Talk: Environmental degradation reduces the environmental capacity to meet social and ecological needs of societies\, which is exacerbated by natural hazards and extreme climate events\, and often intensify existing vulnerabilities. Marginalized groups in cities\, particularly women and poor\, are disproportionately at risk to face negative consequences of such environmental stressors. To better understand relationship between women empowerment and environmental degradation in cities\, we surveyed 1\,199 households in 12 informal settlements of New Delhi (India)\, Dhaka (Bangladesh)\, and Islamabad and Lahore (Pakistan). Using this data\, we created the Empowerment in Informal Settlements Index (EISI) and the Women’s Empowerment in Informal Settlements Index (WEISI) that systematically measure men’s and women’s empowerment. We found that women were significantly less empowered than their male counterparts in all three countries\, with widest gaps in Pakistan. We tested several linkages between empowerment and measures of environmental degradation using regression analyses and found many significant associations.  How Climate Change and Environmental Degredation Hurts Women More Than Men in Slums of South Asia (Policy Brief) About the Speakers:Amit Patel\, PhD: Amit Patel is Assistant Professor at University of Massachusetts Boston’s McCormack Graduate School for Policy and Global Studies. Amit’s research focuses on bottom-up approaches to improve socio-economic outcomes for urban poor. His main research projects funded by the National Science Foundation\, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation\, Urban Institute\, and the World Bank focus on housing and health disparities concerning urban poor living in slums in the Global South. He regularly teaches courses on public policy theories\, urban politics and policies\, and advanced quantitative methods. Amit has a PhD in public policy from George Mason University and prior training in management\, urban and regional planning\, and architecture. When he is not in the field or in front of the computer\, you will find him behind the camera.Ammar Malik: Ammar A. Malik is the Director of EPoD Research. He leads research-policy engagements that derive actionable policy insights from rigorous research. He oversees EPoD’s labor market and education research portfolios in the Middle East\, identifying and supporting opportunities for data and economic analysis to inform local policies that empower underrepresented groups and support social and economic development. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/empowering-women-in-south-asias-slums-the-challenges-of-environmental-degradation/ LOCATION:Democracy Lab (R414 AB)\, Rubenstein Building 4th floor\, HKS CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190412T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190412T130000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20190115T003500Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175426Z UID:14920-1555070400-1555074000@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Hard Data: Adventures in Evidence Collection DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Charity Moore\, India Research DirectorSonya Suter\, Senior Program Manager About the Speakers:Charity Moore: Charity Troyer Moore is the India Research Director for Evidence for Policy Design at the Harvard Kennedy School. She leads research-policy engagements with a variety of entities in India to ensure that research is attuned to the problems facing policymakers and integrated into policy design and program implementation. Charity’s research examines how to use technology to improve public service delivery and governance; the drivers and potential solutions to India’s low female labor force participation; land rights; and social protection programs. She holds an M.A. in Economics and Ph.D. in Agricultural\, Environmental\, and Development Economics.Sonya Suter: Sonya Suter is a Senior Program Manager at Evidence for Policy Design where she oversees the management of Rohini Pande’s research portfolio in India\, including a range of projects on environment\, gender\, governance\, and financial inclusion. Prior to joining EPoD\, Sonya was the Special Assistant to the Managing Director at the World Resources Institute\, where she supported the organization’s management team\, expansion through international offices\, and engagement on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals among other projects. Sonya also worked as a Research Assistant at ICF International on land use and transportation policy and has worked on research projects in Rwanda and Tanzania. Sonya holds an MPA from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and a BA in environmental policy from the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. About the Talk: Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD) is a policy research initiative based at Harvard Kennedy School and working around the globe to improve lives by designing and enabling better policy. In India\, we collaborate on research-policy engagements focused on governance\, environmental and energy issues\, financial inclusion\, and gender equality – using theory\, economic frameworks\, and evidence to identify effective policies\, and help build capacity to implement them. However\, whether studying barriers to women’s economic empowerment\, implementation of social welfare programs\, or uptake of clean cookstoves\, often the real thing we want to measure (social norms\, time use\, or even real-time air quality) is elusive –because measurement itself is complex\, institutions are not set up for research collaborations\, or both. In this seminar\, Charity and Sonya will share experiences\, lessons\, and innovations in data collection from EPoD’s work in India. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/hard-data-adventures-in-evidence-collection/ LOCATION:Bell Hall (B500)\, Belfer Building 5th floor\, HKS CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190405T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190405T130000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20190115T003400Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175426Z UID:14927-1554465600-1554469200@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Improving Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihoods through Mobile Phone-Based Agricultural Advice DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Jonathan Lehe MPA/ID ’17\, Director of New Programs\, Precision Agriculture for Development (PAD) About the talk: The majority of the world’s 450 million smallholder farmers and the 2 billion people who depend on them live in rural villages in developing countries\, growing crops at close to subsistence levels to feed their families. Smallholders typically harvest only 30% to 50% of potential yields due to suboptimal farming practices in quickly changing contexts. Small changes in agricultural practices can substantially improve productivity and profitability\, but farmers continue to lack the advice they need to close the yield gap and maximize their incomes\, despite significant budgets spent on traditional in-person agricultural extension programs. However\, mobile phone ownership is 50 to 70% in developing countries\, and access to mobile phones is even higher—typically 70 to 90%—presenting a huge opportunity to provide digital agricultural advisory services. In addition to technological advances\, recent advances in research methods can also be leveraged to improve the delivery of agricultural extension\, including behavioral economics\, big data and machine learning techniques\, A/B testing\, and rigorous evaluation techniques. Jonathan Lehe\, Director of New Programs at Precision Agriculture for Development (PAD)\, will discuss how the organization is working to improve the lives of farmers in developing countries. About the Speaker: Jonathan Lehe is PAD’s Global Research Manager. Mr. Lehe holds a Masters in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) from the Harvard Kennedy School. He has more than 10 years of experience in the global health and education sectors\, managing research projects and implementation of programs to scale up access to critical public services in Africa\, Asia\, and the Caribbean. He has previously worked at the Clinton Health Access Initiative\, and consulted for the World Bank\, Bridge International Academies\, and MIT’s Jameel Poverty Action Lab.  URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/improving-smallholder-farmers-livelihoods-through-mobile-phone-based-agricultural-advice/ LOCATION:Perkins Room (R429)\, Rubenstein Building 4th floor\, HKS CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190329T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190329T130000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20190115T003300Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250909T235355Z UID:15061-1553860800-1553864400@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Tackling Poverty Through Diplomacy and Development DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Fatema Z. Sumar\, Vice President of Global Programs\, OXFAM America About the talk: At a time when 65 million people are displaced from their homes and more than 800 million people go to bed hungry every night\, how can we make a real difference in tackling poverty & social injustices? During this talk\, Fatema will draw on her experiences as a diplomat and development leader and offer case “samples” from her experiences working in the U.S. Senate\, the U.S. State Department\, the Millennium Challenge Corporation\, and Oxfam America. We will explore different pathways to sustainable change – and how where you sit can define how you approach development. About the Speaker: Fatema Z. Sumar joined Oxfam America in 2018 as Vice President of Global Programs\, where she oversees our regional development and humanitarian response programs. Fatema comes to Oxfam with a distinguished career in the U.S. government\, leading U.S. efforts to advance sustainable development and economic policy in emerging markets and fragile countries. Most recently\, she served as Regional Deputy Vice President for Europe\, Asia\, Pacific\, and Latin America at the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)\, where she managed investments focused on international growth and poverty reduction. Prior to MCC\, she served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia at the U.S. Department of State and as a Senior Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Fatema holds a Master’s in Public Affairs from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School and a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Cornell University. She studied abroad at the American University in Cairo. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/tackling-poverty-through-diplomacy-and-development/ LOCATION:Bell Hall (B500)\, Belfer Building 5th floor\, HKS CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190308T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190308T140000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20190115T002700Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175426Z UID:15070-1552050000-1552053600@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:The Promises and Pitfalls of Philanthropy in International Development DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Nageeb Sumar\, Vice President\, Philanthropic Strategies & Relationship Management Private Donor Group\, Fidelity Charitable About the talk: Private global philanthropy is on the rise\, which has resulted in a shift in the stakeholders involved in influencing international development policy and practice. During this talk\, Nageeb Sumar will review trends in philanthropy- both with private foundations and individual donors- and present reflections on how these shifts are affecting issues in global health and development. He will touch on his recent experience at the Gates Foundation\, as well as his current role at Fidelity Charitable to consider the appropriate role that philanthropy will play in the decades ahead to shape international development. About the Speaker: Nageeb Sumar joined Fidelity Charitable in 2018 as a member of the Private Donor Group team. In his current role\, Nageeb helps Fidelity Charitable’s most generous donors develop innovative solutions in catalyzing social change in the United States and around the world. Prior to joining Fidelity Charitable\, he served in a leadership role at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for nine years\, overseeing the foundation’s work on policy\, systems\, and innovation in philanthropy. He also led and oversaw the Gates Foundation’s partnership with various governments in the U.S.\, Canada\, and Asia-Pacific region. Nageeb holds a law degree from McGill Law School\, a master’s degree in international finance from Queen’s University School of Business\, and bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Urban and Regional Planning from Cornell University. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/the-promises-and-pitfalls-of-philanthropy-in-international-development/ LOCATION:Democracy Lab (R414 AB)\, Rubenstein Building 4th floor\, HKS CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190302T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190302T193000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20190214T015400Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250804T224132Z UID:14797-1551517200-1551555000@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:2019 Latin American Conference DESCRIPTION:About the Conference: The 2019 Latin American Conference at the Harvard Kennedy School will be the 6th edition of this student-organized conference. This conference aims at generating a space to analyze the region’s main challenges through a debate featuring political actors\, social leaders\, policy experts and practitioners with a leadership position in Latin America. This is a platform to foster discussion and learning by encouraging the participation of students and faculty of Harvard and other institutions. \n For tickets and more information\, please visit https://www.latamconference.org/ URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/2019-latin-american-conference/ LOCATION:Littauer Building\, 1st Floor\, HKS CATEGORIES:Growth Lab END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190301T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190301T140000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20190115T001800Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175426Z UID:14967-1551445200-1551448800@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:PDIA in Action: Challenges & Experiences DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Salimah Samji\, Director of the Building State Capability program at CID About the talk: Building State Capability (BSC) program uses the Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) approach to help organizations develop the capability to solve complex problems and to implement public policies. PDIA is a process of facilitated emergence which focuses on problems (not solutions) and follows a step by step process (not a rigid plan) that allows for flexible learning and adaptation. In this seminar\, Salimah will discuss the challenges and experiences BSC has faced when implementing PDIA in-the-field. She will draw on examples from BSC’s work in Albania and Sri Lanka\, and talk about the recent launch of the PDIAToolkit\, a Do-it-Yourself kit for teams to use when solving complex problems. About the Speaker: Salimah Samji is the Director of Building State Capability (BSC). She has more than 15 years of experience working in international development on the delivery of public services\, transparency and accountability\, strategic planning\, monitoring\, evaluation and learning. She joined CID in 2012 to help create the BSC program. Today\, she is responsible for providing vision\, strategic leadership\, oversight and managing projects and research initiatives. Salimah also leads BSC’s work on digital learning. Before joining CID\, she was an independent consultant working for the World Bank on issues of governance\, and the Hewlett Foundation on strategic planning for one of their grantees. She has worked as a senior program manager at Google.org\, leading a transparency and accountability initiative focused on empowering citizens and decision-makers\, by making information on service delivery outcomes publicly available. Salimah has also worked at the World Bank as a social/rural development and monitoring and evaluation specialist in South Asia. She has a Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo (Canada) and a Masters in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) from the Harvard Kennedy School. She is a qualified Casualty Actuary who changed careers after working for 18 months in Afghan refugee camps with a Canadian NGO (FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance) based in Pakistan. Salimah has worked and lived in Kenya\, India\, Pakistan\, Tajikistan\, Canada and the USA.     URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/pdia-in-action-challenges-experiences/ LOCATION:Democracy Lab (R414AB)\, Rubenstein Building 4th Floor\, HKS CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190228T124500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190228T140000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20190207T203600Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T002022Z UID:14924-1551357900-1551362400@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:IDEV PIC Event: Women's Empowerment in Official Development Cooperation DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Wade Channell\, Senior Economic Growth Advisor\, Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment\, USAID About the Talk: The IDEV PIC invites you for a conversation on empowering women in international development with Wade Channell\, gender equality expert at USAID. We will debate the most pressing challenges facing women and girls globally\, discuss the role of bilateral aid agencies (such as USAID) in promoting gender equality\, and explore how different frames of gender equality shape this work – should women’s empowerment be centered around women’s rights\, or is it primarily “smart economics”? About the Speaker: Wade Channell is a specialist in women’s economic empowerment and business enabling environments.  He has worked for more than 25 years on issues that constrain growth and private sector development\, at USAID\, Booz Allen Hamilton\, the Emerging Markets Group\, Chemonics\, and others.  His 13 years at USAID include more than five years working exclusively on issues of women’s economic empowerment and equality\, which is still his focus today. Prior to focusing on development\, he spent 8 years as a commercial lawyer.  Mr. Channell has also served as as an adjunct professor at the George Washington University\, and has worked in over 60 countries on six continents. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/idev-pic-event-womens-empowerment-in-official-development-cooperation/ LOCATION:Perkins Room (R429)\, Rubenstein 4th Floor\, HKS END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190222T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190222T140000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20190115T002500Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175426Z UID:15060-1550840400-1550844000@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Syria: The Catastrophe DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Rt Hon. Andrew Mitchell\, British MP and Former Secretary of State for International Development About the Speaker: Rt Hon. Andrew Mitchell is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sutton Coldfield since 2001. He was the MP for Gedling from 1987 to 1997. He served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development from 2010 to 2012. Mitchell was elected President of the Cambridge Union in 1978. Before university\, he served for several months as a United Nations military peacekeeper in Cyprus. He has extensive pre-government experience of the developing world\, and is the founder of Project Umubano\, a Conservative Party social action project in Rwanda and Sierra Leone in central and west Africa\, launched in 2007. Mitchell was returned as MP for Sutton Coldfield at the 2017 general election\, with a reduced majority. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/syria-the-catastrophe/ LOCATION:Democracy Lab (R414 AB)\, Rubenstein Building 4th floor\, HKS CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190215T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190215T140000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20190115T002300Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250909T235407Z UID:14978-1550235600-1550239200@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:Preventing Violence in Developing (and Developed) Countries DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Leslee Udwin\, Founder & President\, Think Equal About the Speaker: Leslee was voted by the NY Times the No 2 Most Impactful Woman of 2015 (second to Hillary Clinton)\, and has been awarded the prestigious Swedish Anna Lindh Human Rights Prize (previously won by Madeleine Albright). She has also been named Safe’s Global Hero of 2015\, Global Thinker by Foreign Policy. A BAFTA and multi-award winning filmmaker and Human Rights Campaigner\, Leslee’s documentary “India’s Daughter”\, has been critically acclaimed around the globe\, won 32 awards (including the Peabody Award and the Amnesty International Media Award for Best Documentary 2016) and sparked a global movement to end violence against women and girls. The searing insights yielded by the 2½ journey making “India’s Daughter”\, led Leslee to found UK-and-US-based Not for Profit global education initiative “Think Equal”. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/preventing-violence-in-developing-and-developed-countries/ LOCATION:Democracy Lab (R414 AB)\, Rubenstein Building 4th floor\, HKS CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181130T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181130T140000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20180815T190900Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175425Z UID:14835-1543582800-1543586400@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:CID Speaker Series: Cash Transfer Programs in Developing Countries: Insights from Indonesia DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Aaron Berman\, Research Fellow\, Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD) About the talk: In this talk\, Aaron Berman will present an overview of EPoD’s research on cash transfers in developing countries\, led by Professors Rema Hanna (HKS) and Ben Olken (MIT). He will focus in particular on two research projects. The first\, “Universal Basic Incomes versus Targeted Transfers: Anti-Poverty Programs in Developing Countries\,” explores several considerations related to the design and implementation of cash transfer programs and weighs the advantages of targeted programs against universal basic income schemes. The second\, “Cumulative Impacts of Conditional Cash Transfers: Experimental Evidence from Indonesia\,” evaluates a large-scale policy experiment involving Program Keluarga Harapan (PKH)\, Indonesia’s conditional cash transfer program\, six years after the program’s launch. In this paper\, Hanna\, Olken\, and co-authors show that the conditional cash transfer continues to have large impacts on incentivized health-seeking behaviors and educational attainment for children ages 7 to 15. Additionally\, the program has had longer-term impacts on health outcomes\, such as stunting\, that may require cumulative investments. This project contributes to a relatively new body of knowledge on the long-term impacts of conditional cash transfer programs\, which have previously been difficult to estimate. About the speaker: Aaron Berman is a research fellow at Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD) at Harvard Kennedy School\, where he supports the research portfolio of Rema Hanna\, Jeffrey Cheah Professor of South-East Asia Studies. He has spent his time at EPoD studying the implementation and impacts of various anti-poverty programs in Indonesia and India. Aaron’s research interests focus on the intersection between economics\, public health\, and medicine. He has previously worked on projects related to Ebola response in Liberia as well as on state-level drug pricing legislation in the US. He holds a BA from Yale University and an MPH from the Yale School of Public Health. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/cid-speaker-series-cash-transfer-programs-in-developing-countries-insights-from-indonesia/ LOCATION:Perkins Room (R429) – Rubenstein Building 4th floor CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181116T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181116T140000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20180815T190800Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175425Z UID:14849-1542373200-1542376800@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:CID Speaker Series: New Pathways to Inclusive Growth: Sri Lanka Project in Retrospect DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Daniel Stock\, Research Fellow\, CID; Timothy O’Brien\, Research Fellow\, CID; Sehar Noor\, Research Assistant\, CID About the talk: Starting in November 2015\, the Center for International Development’s Growth Lab has been engaged in economic policy research with the Government of Sri Lanka. Led by Professor Ricardo Hausmann\, the team has focused on a single question: what is holding back investment in Sri Lanka – especially in new and non-traditional export-oriented sectors – and what can the government do about it? In this talk\, members of the Sri Lanka team will show what they learned. First\, a lack of new economic “knowhow” has meant that there are few easy opportunities for innovative investors to exploit. Next\, the investors who do arrive find significant roadblocks to their success; these include policy barriers to reaching markets and key inputs\, and infrastructural gaps at the regional level. As these challenges became clear\, the team partnered with key counterparts in the government and civil society to support potential solutions\, and to better understand the deeper institutional gaps that prevent proactive policymaking. About the speakers: Daniel Stock rejoined the Center for International Development’s Growth Lab as a Research Fellow in 2015. He also held this position from 2011-2013. He studies how countries apply proactive strategies to promote structural transformation. His research focuses on using network models to uncover new opportunities for diversifying exports and attracting new sources of investment. Prior to joining CID\, Daniel was a Junior Professional Associate at the World Bank\, working with governments to improve the investment climate for local businesses and FDI. Daniel has also worked as a researcher at the MIT Media Lab’s Macro Connections group\, and a Research Intern at the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Santiago\, Chile. Daniel earned a B.S. in Quantitative Economics and International Relations from Tufts University.  Tim O’Brien joined the Center for International Development in 2015\, working on both Growth Lab and Building State Capability projects.He has led growth diagnostic research in Albania and Sri Lanka. Tim holds a Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) degree from the Harvard Kennedy School and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Northwestern University. Tim served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi from 2008-2010 and has experience working with the World Bank and in environmental engineering. Tim’s research interests center on the challenges of economic transformation and adapting to climate change in developing countries and vulnerable communities. Sehar Noor is a Research Assistant at the Center for International Development’s Growth Lab. Sehar graduated from Rollins College in May 2016 with honors in Economics and International Affairs. While at Rollins\, she served as captain of the debate team\, and studied abroad in Cuba and China. Her previous experience includes conducting fieldwork in disaster relief camps as an intern for the Aga Khan Rural Support Program in Gilgit\, Pakistan\, and interning with the Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Unit of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Islamabad\, Pakistan.       URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/cid-speaker-series-new-pathways-to-inclusive-growth-sri-lanka-project-in-retrospect/ LOCATION:Democracy Lab AB (R414 AB) – Rubenstein 4th Floor CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181102T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181102T130000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20180815T190500Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175425Z UID:14851-1541160000-1541163600@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:CID Speaker Series: Politicising Inequality: The Power of Ideas DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Alice Evans\, Associate\, Building State Capability Program and Lecturer\, King’s College London About the talk: A contemporary challenge is inequality. In this seminar\, Alice Evans will present findings from her paper\, “Politicising Inequality: The Power of Ideas”. The paper illustrates why ideas matter\, and how they can change over time. Inequalities are reinforced when they are taken for granted. But this can be disrupted when marginalised people gain self-esteem; challenge hitherto unquestioned inequalities; and gain confidence in the possibility of social change. Slowly and incrementally\, social mobilisation can catalyse greater government commitment to socially inclusive economic growth. This is illustrated with ethnographic research from Latin America\, where income inequality has recently declined. Clearly\, however\, no single paper can provide a comprehensive account of political change in an incredibly diverse region. By highlighting some ways in which ideas matter (and the limitations of alternative hypotheses about increased fiscal space and democratisation)\, this paper merely seeks to persuade political economists to go beyond ‘incentives’. Future efforts to tackle inequality might harness the power of ideas: tackling ‘norm perceptions’ (beliefs about what others think and do); publicising positive deviance; and strengthening social movements. About the speaker: Alice Evans is writing a book on “The Global Politics of Decent Work”. Through comparative research on strengthening corporate accountability\, Alice explores how to resolve global collective action problems and improve workers’ rights. She has published on the causes of falling inequality in Latin America; social movements; rising support for gender equality; cities as catalysts of social change; and the politics of maternal mortality.She is a Lecturer at King’s College London\, with previous appointments at Cambridge and the LSE. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/cid-speaker-series-politicising-inequality-the-power-of-ideas/ LOCATION:Democracy Lab AB (R414 AB) – Rubenstein 4th Floor CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181102T093000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181102T103000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20181026T221000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175426Z UID:14845-1541151000-1541154600@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:CID Speaker Series: How Cheap Smartphones and Off-The-Shelf Machine Learning are Changing the Government in Pakistan DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Prof. Umar Saif\, Chairman of the Punjab Information Technology Board About the talk: In this talk\, Prof. Saif will present a series of large-scale systems which use cheap smartphones and machine learning to inform policy in the government. Specifically\, the talk will focus on three areas: (1) Agriculture: Their platform\, FoodAtHome.org\, uses free multi-spectral imagery\, smartphone-based ground-truthing and distributed volunteer-computing to make weekly crop yield predictions in Punjab. (2) Vaccination: Their system\, eVaccs\, uses smartphones to track mobile vaccinators and satellite imagery to detect population clusters\, resulting in vaccination improvement from 43% to 87%. (3) Data Collection: Their platform\, SurveyAuto\, enables an uber-style market place for crowdsourcing local data and uses machine learning to automatically analyze the quality of crowdsourced data.       About the speaker: Prof. Saif is Chairman of the Punjab Informational Technology Board (PITB)\, heading all public-sector IT projects in Punjab\, Pakistan. He is also founding Vice Chancellor of ITU\, a newly setup research university in Lahore. He holds a PhD from Cambridge University and worked at MIT for several years before returning to Pakistan. He was named as one of the top 35 young innovators by the MIT Technology Review in 2011 and a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2010. He has received various accolades that include a Google Faculty Research Award\, MIT Technovator\, IEEE Percom Mark Weiser Award amongst others. In 2014\, Prof. Saif was awarded Sitara-I-Imtiaz\, one of the highest civil awards by the government of Pakistan\, and he was named among the 500 most influential Muslims in the world in 2015-2018. Dr. Saif was appointed the UNESCO Chair for ICT for Development in 2018.  URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/cid-speaker-series-how-cheap-smartphones-and-off-the-shelf-machine-learning-are-changing-the-government-in-pakistan/ LOCATION:Perkins Room (R429) – Rubenstein 4th Floor CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181030T114500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181030T130000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20181010T221100Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T004521Z UID:15062-1540899900-1540904400@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:The Challenge of Driving Prosperity: Growth Diagnostics and Sustainable Development DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Miguel Angel Santos\, Senior Research Fellow\, CID (Jordan\, Panama\, Venezuela\, sub-national Mexico)Douglas Barrios\, Research Fellow\, CID (Venezuela\, sub-national Mexico)Tim O’Brien\, Research Fellow\, CID (Sri Lanka\, Albania\, Jordan) About the talk: This panel discussion will focus on how to overcome the implementation challenges that arise when doing growth diagnostics\, make high bandwidth development policies politically viable\, and combine economic growth with social and environmental sustainability. The discussion will be followed by a Q&A with the speakers.  About the speakers: Miguel Angel Santos is an Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School of Government\, and a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for International Development (CID) at Harvard University. At CID\, he has been involved in various research projects aimed at helping governments to rethink their development strategies\, both at the national and sub-national levels. Since he joined CID in August 2014\, he has been involved in projects at the national level in Mexico\, Panama\, and Venezuela\, and at the sub-national level in Mexico in the states of Chiapas\, Baja California\, Tabasco and Campeche; and the city of Hermosillo at Sonora state. He has also performed as project manager in the projects leading to the build-up of the Mexican Atlas of Economic Complexity\, and the Peruvian Atlas of Economic Complexity. Before joining the field of international development\, Miguel worked for ten years in corporate finance and business development in Latin America\, performing as Director of Finance for the Cisneros Group of Companies (1997-2003)\, Head of Corporate Finance for Mercantil Servicios Financieros (2005-2007)\, and Business Vice-President for Sony Pictures and Entertainment Latin America (2008-2009). At that point\, he decided to switch tracks and get involved in development economics. He holds two Master of Science degrees in International Finance and Trade (2011) and Economics (2012) from Universitat Pompeu Fabra\, a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University (2014)\, and a Ph.D. in Economics at Universidad de Barcelona (2016). He was the head of the Macroeconomic Policy Team for presidential candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski in the Venezuelan elections of 2012. Douglas Barrios joined the Center for International Development’s Growth Lab as a Research Fellow in 2013. Before joining CID he worked in McKinsey’s Bogotá office as a Public Sector Specialist where he served public and social sector organizations throughout Latin America in a broad set of topics ranging from ICT promotion strategies to education policy design. Other previous experience include serving as an external policy adviser for local governments as well as political campaigns in Venezuela. His research interests are focused on urban dynamics\, natural resource extraction and rent management\, behavioral economics and the political economics behind policy design. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Universidad Metropolitana (Venezuela) and a Masters in Public Administration and International Development at the Harvard Kennedy School (MPA-ID 2012). Tim O’Brien joined CID in 2015 and has worked on both Growth Lab and Building State Capability projects. He has led growth diagnostic research in Albania and Sri Lanka. Tim holds a Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) degree from the Harvard Kennedy School and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Northwestern University. Tim served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi from 2008-2010 and has experience working with the World Bank and in environmental engineering. Tim’s research interests center on the challenges of economic transformation and adapting to climate change in developing countries and vulnerable communities. Sponsored by International Development Professional Interest Council\, a Harvard Kennedy School student organization.  URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/the-challenge-of-driving-prosperity-growth-diagnostics-and-sustainable-development/ LOCATION:Perkins Room (R429) – Rubenstein 4th Floor CATEGORIES:Growth Lab END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181026T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181026T130000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20180815T190400Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250909T235414Z UID:14844-1540555200-1540558800@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:CID Speaker Series: Hot Topics in Global Health Financing: Accountability\, Transition\, and the Universal Health Coverage Agenda DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Rachel Silverman\, Senior Policy Analyst and Assistant Director of Global Health Policy\, Center for Global Development (CGD) About the talk: Since 2000\, a large and complex global infrastructure has emerged to help finance public health improvement in low- and middle-income countries. These institutions have helped drive historic improvements in child survival\, HIV mortality\, and access to modern contraception—yet serious questions have arisen about their long-term sustainability\, their effects on country-led health systems\, and whether they create incentives that are misaligned with long-term public health impart. Rachel Silverman\, Assistant Director of Global Health Policy and a Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for Global Development\, will offer a brief overview of the current health financing architecture. Drawing on her research\, she will then introduce and discuss three “hot topics” in global health financing: fiscal and programmatic accountability and incentive models; strategies to “transition” countries away from reliance on external financing; and the movement away from “vertical”\, disease-focused financing streams toward a more comprehensive\, holistic vision for Universal Health Coverage (UHC). About the Speaker: Rachel Silverman is a senior policy analyst and assistant director of global health policy at the Center for Global Development\, focusing on global health financing and incentive structures. During previous work at the Center from 2011 to 2013\, she contributed to research and analysis on value for money\, incentives\, measurement\, and policy coherence in global health\, among other topics. Before joining CGD\, Silverman spent two years supporting democratic strengthening and good governance programs in Kosovo and throughout Central and Eastern Europe with the National Democratic Institute. She holds a master’s of philosophy with distinction in public health from the University of Cambridge\, which she attended as a Gates Cambridge Scholar. She also holds a BA with distinction in international relations and economics from Stanford University. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/cid-speaker-series-hot-topics-in-global-health-financing-accountability-transition-and-the-universal-health-coverage-agenda/ LOCATION:Bell Hall – Belfer 5th Floor CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181022T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181022T190000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20181016T185400Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T000504Z UID:14856-1540231200-1540234800@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:CID Speaker Series: The Economics and Politics of the Post-Financial Crisis Global Geography DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Ernesto Talvi\, Academic Director of Centre for the Study of Economic and Social Affairs (CERES) and 2019 Presidential candidate\, Uruguay About the speaker: Ernesto Talvi is a nonresident senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution and Academic Director of CERES in Uruguay. He also serves as the director of the Brookings Global-CERES Economic and Social Policy in the Latin America Initiative\, and as a visiting professor at Columbia University in New York. His work focuses on emerging markets macroeconomics with special emphasis on Latin America\, stabilization programs\, fiscal policy\, capital flows and financial crises. Dr. Talvi has extensive experience in economic policy. Between 2001 and 2011 he was a special advisor to the Research Department of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) on global and regional macroeconomic and financial affairs\, contributing to the policy dialogue and the development of cross-country research work. Between 1995 and 1997 he served as a senior research economist at the Research Department of the Inter-American Development Bank. He was also a visiting scholar at the Research Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1994. Dr. Talvi also served as the chief economist and head of research of the Central Bank of Uruguay between 1990 and 1995. During that period\, he was the chief advisor to Uruguay’s economic team (integrated by the Minister of Finance\, the Governor of the Central Bank and the Director of Planning and Budget) and was in charge of the negotiations with the IMF. He was a professor of International Economics at the Universidad ORT in Uruguay and visiting lecturer at Universidad Torcuatto di Tella in Buenos Aires\, Argentina\, and Fundação Getulio Vargas in Rio de Janeiro\, Brazil. Finally\, he is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Latin America\, a founding member of the Latin-American Shadow Financial Regulatory Committee and was a member of the Executive Committee of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association. Dr. Talvi has published several academic and policy papers in books and journals. He has a Ph.D. in economics and an M.B.A. in finance from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in economics from the Universidad de la República Oriental del Uruguay. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/cid-speaker-series-the-economics-and-politics-of-the-post-financial-crisis-global-geography/ LOCATION:Allison Dining Room\, Taubman Building 5th Floor\, HKS END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181019T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181019T123000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20181011T180600Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250909T235417Z UID:14833-1539946800-1539952200@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:CID Speaker Series: Better Growth & Better Climate: The New Climate Economy DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Felipe Calderón Hinojosa\, Former President of Mexico and Honorary Chair of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate About the talk: The presentation will focus on the key findings of the recently released New Climate Economy’s (NCE) 2018 Report on Unlocking the Inclusive Growth Story of the 21st Century: Accelerating Climate Action in Urgent Times. The presentation will introduce the key findings of the report\, focusing on five key economic sectors: Energy\, Cities\, Food and Land Use\, Water\, and Industry\, as well as the cross-cutting issues of Finance and Just Transition. President Calderon will then go on to highlight some examples of the low carbon transition taking root\, as well as the economic and social benefits being reaped as a result. This will be followed by a deep dive into a case-study with NCE Lead Economist Leonardo Garrido on a Low Carbon Development Initiative in Indonesia\, a collaboration with the Indonesian Planning Ministry (BAPPENAS) to create a low carbon 5-year development plan. About the speaker: Felipe Calderón was President of Mexico from 2006 to 2012. During his presidency he prioritized the rule of law and public security; a competitive and job-creating economy; equal opportunities; sustainable development; effective democracy; and a responsible foreign policy. Among other achievement his government pushed through structural reforms to modernize the Mexican economy in key areas\, such as public pensions\, tax\, the energy sector and universal healthcare. It also put in place the most ambitious infrastructure program in Mexican history\, raising annual investment from 3 percent to 5 percent of GDP a year. During his period in office Mexico positioned itself as a global leader in fighting climate change: President Calderon presided over the successful UN climate conference in Cancun in 2010 and saw the passing of a comprehensive Climate Change Act in 2012. Prior to becoming President Felipe Calderón served as Secretary of Energy\, and General Director of BANOBRAS (the public works and infrastructure bank). He was elected to the Federal Congress in 1991\, becoming Secretary-General of the PAN (National Action Party)\, President and Leader of the Parliamentary Group. He was earlier a Representative in the Assembly of Mexico City (1988-91).  Felipe Calderón is Chair of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate; President of the Sustainable Human Development Foundation; and a Member of the Board of Directors of the World Resources Institute. Felipe Calderón has a Bachelor’s degree in law\, a Masters in Economics from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México; and a Masters in Public Administration from the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He spent 2014-2015 as the Inaugural Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow at the Kennedy School. RSVP is required for this event\, please follow the prompts on this page to secure your space. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/cid-speaker-series-better-growth-better-climate-the-new-climate-economy/ LOCATION:Starr Auditorium (B200) – Belfer Building\, 2nd floor CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181018T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181018T193000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20181017T223100Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250804T224132Z UID:14802-1539885600-1539891000@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:African Women Leadership: A Conversation with Oby Ezekwesili DESCRIPTION:Speaker: MME Oby Ezekwesili\, Nobel Prize Nominee\, 2019 Nigeria Presidential Nominee (ACPN)\, Convener\, #BringBackOurGirls Movement \n About the talk: Join the Africa Caucus\, a student organization at HKS\, as they celebrate African Women Leadership in conversation with MME Oby Ezekwesili\, Nobel Prize Nominee\, 2019 Nigeria Presidential Nominee (ACPN)\, Convener\, #BringBackOurGirls Movement. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/african-women-leadership-a-conversation-with-oby-ezekwesili/ LOCATION:Wex 434 – Wexner Building 4th floor END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181012T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181012T130000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20180815T190000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250909T235421Z UID:14821-1539345600-1539349200@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:CID Speaker Series - Going Cashless: An Opportunity to Accelerate Progress on the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Tidhar Wald\, Head of Government Relations and Public Policy\, Better Than Cash Alliance\, United Nations About the talk: Billions of dollars in cash payments are made daily in emerging and developing economies\, including payment of salaries\, social welfare and business transactions. The problem with these cash payments is their lack of transparency\, accountability and security. Thanks to technology and connectivity\, more people than ever now have access to mobile phones\, the internet and cloud-based solutions. How can this digital revolution help us reach the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) more quickly? One way is through moving away from cash. For the nearly two billion people excluded from the formal financial sector\, the digitization of payments can open the door to a range of affordable financial services to help them save safely\, seize economic opportunities and reduce their vulnerability. But this vision can only be realized if digitization is carried out responsibly and responsively to people’s needs. Come hear how governments all over the world\, from India to Kenya\, UN agencies from UNHCR to WFP and companies such as H&M or Gap Inc. are shifting from cash to digital payments to achieve transparency\, efficiency\, reduce corruption\, advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. About the speaker: Tidhar Wald leads the Government Relations and Public Policy teams at the Better Than Cash Alliance\, a UN-based partnership of over 60 governments\, companies and international organizations that accelerates the global transition from cash to digital payments in order to drive inclusive growth and reduce poverty. At Better Than Cash Alliance\, Tidhar oversees the outreach to governments\, companies\, international organizations and donor governments towards their commitment to digitize payments and work together to build digital economies that are inclusive. Prior to his tenure at the Better Than Cash Alliance\, Tidhar held positions in political affairs and government relations for over a decade\, including at the United Nations\, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and Oxfam International. Tidhar holds a Master of Public Policy and International Affairs from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelors in Political Science and History from Sorbonne University in Paris. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/cid-speaker-series-going-cashless-an-opportunity-to-accelerate-progress-on-the-2030-sustainable-development-goals/ LOCATION:Bell Hall – Belfer 5th Floor CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181005T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181005T130000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20180815T185800Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250909T235423Z UID:14858-1538740800-1538744400@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:CID Speaker Series: The International Rules-Based System is Broken: What is to be Done?  DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Rt Hon. Andrew Mitchell\, British MP and Former Secretary of State for International Development About the Speaker: Rt Hon. Andrew Mitchell is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sutton Coldfield since 2001. He was the MP for Gedling from 1987 to 1997. He served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development from 2010 to 2012. Mitchell was elected President of the Cambridge Union in 1978. Before university\, he served for several months as a United Nations military peacekeeper in Cyprus. He has extensive pre-government experience of the developing world\, and is the founder of Project Umubano\, a Conservative Party social action project in Rwanda and Sierra Leone in central and west Africa\, launched in 2007. Mitchell was returned as MP for Sutton Coldfield at the 2017 general election\, with a reduced majority. URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/cid-speaker-series-the-international-rules-based-system-is-broken-what-is-to-be-done/ LOCATION:Bell Hall (B500) – Belfer 5th Floor\, 79 JFK Street\, Cambridge\, MA 02138 CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180926T131500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180926T143000 DTSTAMP:20260421T013417 CREATED:20180815T185100Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250916T175425Z UID:14857-1537967700-1537972200@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu SUMMARY:CID Speaker Series: The Humanitarian Crisis in Venezuela - A Conversation with José Miguel Vivanco DESCRIPTION:Speaker: José Miguel Vivanco\, Executive Director of Americas division\, Human Rights Watch About the talk: The current exodus of Venezuelans has generated the largest migration crisis of its kind in recent Latin American history\, as Human Rights Watch has pointed out in its most recent report. More than 2.3 million Venezuelans have left their country since 2014\, according to the United Nations\, and many others have left whose cases have not been registered by authorities. Venezuelans are fleeing their country for multiple reasons\, which includes: Severe shortages of medicine\, medical supplies\, and food; extremely high rates of violent crime; hyperinflation; and thousands of arbitrary arrests\, torture and other abuses against detainees. The director of Human Rights Watch’s Americas division\, Jose Miguel Vivanco\, will talk about this exodus\, its causes and consequences\, and the Need for a Regional Response to face the crisis. About the speaker: José Miguel Vivanco\, director of Human Rights Watch’s Americas division\, is a general expert on Latin America. Before joining Human Rights Watch\, Vivanco worked as an attorney for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights at the Organization of American States (OAS).  In 1990\, he founded the Center for Justice and International Law\, an NGO that files complaints before international human rights bodies. Vivanco has also been an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center and the School of Advanced International Studies at John Hopkins University. He has published articles in leading American and Latin American newspapers and is interviewed regularly for television news. A Chilean\, Vivanco studied law at the University of Chile and Salamanca Law School in Spain and holds an LL.M. from Harvard Law School. This event is being co-sponsored by: URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/cid-speaker-series-the-humanitarian-crisis-in-venezuela-a-conversation-with-jose-miguel-vivanco/ LOCATION:Allison Dining Room (ADR) – Taubman\, 5th Floor CATEGORIES:Speaker Series END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR