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The CGD Podcast

Center for Global Development

International development experts share their ideas on smarter policies for a better world. Hosted by the Center for Global Development.

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  • 100 episodes
  • Updated July 23

Episodes100

Newest first
  • July 23 · 44 min

    The Future of Development Finance with Leslie Maasdorp

    CGD's Sam Attridge and Nancy Lee speak with British International Investment CEO Leslie Maasdorp about balancing national interests with development mandates, setting reachable targets, and strategies for mobilization and prioritization.

  • June 4 · 34 min

    Ending Violence in Schools with Dipak Naker and Gabriela Smarrelli

    CGD's David Evans speaks with Dipak Naker of the Coalition for Good Schools and CGD's Gabriela Smarrelli on what the data shows about school violence (and what data is missing), how to conduct such research accurately and safely, and effective strategies for changing attitudes and practices around the world.

  • April 13 · 33 min

    What Does the Iran War Mean for Low- and Middle-Income Countries? With Liliana Rojas-Suarez and Catherine Pattillo

    CGD's Clemence Landers, Liliana Rojas-Suarez, and Catherine Pattillo look at how the Iran war compares to recent shocks like COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, how governments are responding—from fuel subsidies to rationing and currency interventions—and where the pressure is most acute, including in import-dependent economies in Southeast Asia and across Sub-Saharan Africa.

  • March 5 · 32 min

    Tackling Child Marriage with Imran Matin and Kehinde Ajayi

    CGD's Rachel Glennerster speaks with colleague Kehinde Ajayi and Imran Matin of BRAC University's Institute for Governance and Development about why child marriage persists and what evidence tells us about how to reduce it. They discuss how the drivers vary across contexts, and what policies have been shown to work, including education investments, empowerment programs for adolescent girls, and cash transfers designed to delay marriage.

  • January 21 · 31 min

    Can Venezuela's Economy Recover? With Dany Bahar and Liliana Rojas-Suarez

    Venezuela has experienced one of the deepest economic collapses in modern history. CGD's David Evans, Dany Bahar, and Liliana Rojas-Suarez examine how Venezuela reached this point, the conditions that need to be in place for a credible economic recovery, the role of oil and debt restructuring, and how the country can realistically chart a path out of poverty and back toward stability and growth.

  • Dec 11, 2025 · 27 min

    Inside the 2025 Commitment to Development Index with Ian Mitchell

    In this episode, I speak with Ian Mitchell, the lead author of the 2025 Commitment to Development Index (CDI), about what this year's results reveal. We discuss why many countries have slipped in their overall contributions to global development, where progress is emerging, and how the CDI can guide smarter, more coherent policymaking across trade, migration, climate, technology, and development finance at a time of increasingly constrained budgets. Ian also reflects on the major trends shaping this year's index and urges policymakers and advocates to look beyond aid when thinking about how to drive real impact for the world's poorest countries.

  • Nov 13, 2025 · 39 min

    Philanthropy's Evolving Role in Global Development with Katrina Sill

    The landscape of global development is shifting—shrinking aid budgets, emerging funding models, and evolving priorities are forcing philanthropic capital to move faster, take greater risks, and fill critical gaps left by governments and multilateral institutions. What should the role of philanthropy look like? In this time of disruption, philanthropic donors are also presented with an opportunity to rethink, identify and remove barriers, and consider what changes can be truly game-changing. In this episode, I speak with Katrina Sill, Global Health and Development Lead at Founders Pledge, about their newly launched Catalytic Impact Fund. We discuss risk, impact, evidence, and how philanthropic entities can balance responding to immediate needs and foster resilient systems for the future.

  • Oct 30, 2025 · 38 min

    Where AI Meets Development with Temina Madon and Han Sheng Chia

    From chatbots supporting new mothers and nutrition coaches guiding families, to tutoring tools for children and apps advising farmers, artificial intelligence is beginning to find its place in development. But is it ready—and are we? In this episode of the CGD Podcast, I'm joined by Temina Madon, Executive Director of the Agency Fund, and Han Sheng Chia, CGD Fellow and Director of our new AI initiative. We discuss where AI shows promise—from health and education to livelihoods and agriculture—what risks it could amplify, and how the development community can ensure these technologies improve lives rather than deepen inequalities.

  • Aug 14, 2025 · 35 min

    Saving Newborn Lives with Lord Jim O'Neill and Dr. Akhil Bansal

    CGD's Rachel Glennerster speaks with Lord Jim O'Neill and Dr. Akhil Bansal on the nature and scale of the problem of neonatal sepsis, how an advance market commitment could help incentivize the development of a diagnostic, and what steps policymakers can take to help save newborn lives.

  • Jul 31, 2025 · 24 min

    Remittances for Development with Manuel Orozco

    CGD's Helen Dempster speaks with the Inter-American Dialogue's Manuel Orozco about the key role that remittances play in development, the impact of the new tax, and how remittances could be better supported and managed.

  • Jun 12, 2025 · 27 min

    Climate Finance in an Era of Uncertainty with Dirk Meyer and Elizabeth Sidiropoulos

    Following the 2025 Development Leaders Conference, CGD's Rachel Glennerster speaks with BMZ's Dirk Meyer and SAIIA's Elizabeth Sidiropoulos about conference takeaways, including whether climate should be a focus for development agencies, how to get more bang for your climate-change buck, and how developing countries might prioritize between climate mitigation and adaptation.

  • Jun 5, 2025 · 35 min

    Racing to Preserve Life-saving USAID Programs with the Project Resource Optimization Team

    After a large share of USAID's work was terminated, a small cadre of development experts created Project Resource Optimization, or PRO, to identify highly cost-effective, life-saving programs that were on hold and connect them with philanthropic donors who could fill the gaps. CGD's Erin Collinson speaks with two PRO team members, Rob Rosenbaum and Caitlin Tulloch, about the origins and limits of the PRO initiative, its successes to date, and the lessons from the work that could help re-envision US foreign aid.

  • May 22, 2025 · 27 min

    CGD Podcast: Fiscal Policies for Equality

    CGD's Sanjeev Gupta and Benedict Clements of Universidad de Las Américas discuss the considerations that influence the design of sound monetary and fiscal policies, the role of income taxes, and the kinds of reforms that can bring equity to both emerging and advanced economies.

  • May 8, 2025 · 13 min

    Pandemic Proof: Preparing for What Comes Next

    As the second season of Pandemic Proof comes to a close, host Javier Guzman reflects on the progress made in pandemic preparedness since COVID-19, the challenges we still face, and the rapidly shifting global landscape that will shape what comes next.

  • Apr 24, 2025 · 40 min

    CGD Podcast: The Future of the African Development Bank with Three Presidential Candidates

    Ahead of the African Development Bank's presidential election in May, CGD's Karen Mathiasen and AfriCatalyst's Daouda Sembene interview three of the candidates – Amadou Hott, Samuel Munzele Maimbo, and Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala – on their priorities for the Bank and their views on how to help steer countries through a volatile and uncertain time and achieve their development goals.