In Pursuit of Development

Voice without authority: The Global South after Aid | Dan Banik

The Global South is more visible, more vocal, and more organized than at any point in recent decades. But has that translated into real power? In this season-opening epis

Why hope is what we need | Dan Banik

What does it mean to defend hope in an age of crisis, anxiety, and political exhaustion? In this Season 6 finale of In Pursuit of Development, Dan Banik reflects on why h

How civil society adapts when aid shrinks | Tikhala Itaye

As traditional aid budgets shrink and donor priorities shift, civil society organizations across Malawi are being forced to rethink how they work, survive, and serve comm

Is Rwanda a development success? | Pritish Behuria

Rwanda is often described as one of Africa’s most remarkable development success stories: a country that rebuilt itself after the 1994 genocide, delivered impressive impr

African agency at the crossroads | Dan Banik

In this solo episode, Dan Banik reflects on a series of recent conversations across Pretoria, Addis Ababa, Blantyre, and Mauritius, where African scholars, policymakers,

How public institutions become captured | Elizabeth Dávid-Barrett

Corruption is often imagined as a bribe paid to speed up a permit, avoid a fine, or gain access to a public service. But some of the most damaging forms of corruption ope

Why the UN looks different from the Global South | Alanna O’Malley

In this episode of In Pursuit of Development, Dan Banik speaks with Alanna O’Malley, Professor and Chair of Global Governance & Wealth and Head of Department of History a

The poverty trap that kills a million people a year | Madhukar Pai

Why does tuberculosis remain one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases even though it is preventable and curable? In this episode of In Pursuit of Development, Dan

Can aid still fight poverty? | Elina Scheja

What happens to development cooperation when aid budgets are cut, geopolitical tensions rise, and poverty reduction competes with a growing range of strategic priorities?

Can Asia still deliver the development dream? | Philip Schellekens

Asia is often described as the great success story of modern development, a region of rapid growth, falling poverty, rising middle classes, and extraordinary transformati

Urbanization, inequality and the future of development | Benjamin Bradlow

Dan Banik speaks with Benjamin H. Bradlow, Assistant Professor of Sociology and International Affairs at Princeton University, about how cities can grow without leaving m

Why the middle class will shape global development | Homi Kharas

Dan Banik speaks with Homi Kharas about one of the most important yet surprisingly underexplored forces in modern development: the rise of the global middle class. Drawin

Artificial intelligence and the future of human decision-making | Francesco Marcelloni

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how societies function — from healthcare and education to governance, public debate, and the future of work. But as AI sys

Why India–China relations could reshape the global order | Manoj Kewalramani

India-China relations are entering a new phase of cautious re-engagement after five years of deep tension following the 2020 Galwan clash. Leaders have resumed meetings,

Can philosophy save a world obsessed with power? | Thomas Pogge

In an era of intensifying great-power rivalry, shrinking foreign aid budgets, and declining faith in multilateralism, what role is left for global justice? In this wide-r

Debt, development finance, and global agency | David McNair

In this episode of In Pursuit of Development, Dan Banik is joined by Dr. David McNair, Executive Director of ONE.org, for a conversation on the future of activism and glo

Six economists and the making of modern development | David Engerman

In this episode of In Pursuit of Development, Dan Banik speaks with Yale historian David Engerman about how “development” became one of the most powerful and contested id

Making evidence actually usable | Lindsey Moore

This episode of In Pursuit of Development explores how AI is reshaping the way development organizations learn from evidence, unlocking lessons buried in evaluations and

Vietnam’s remarkable development turnaround | Arve Hansen

Vietnam is often held up as one of the world’s standout development success stories—rapid growth, dramatic poverty reduction, and a transformation from low-income to midd

Energy for growth on the African continent | Todd Moss

Electricity is often treated as a basic development milestone. But in large parts of the African continent, the deeper challenge is not only connecting people to the grid