Development That Works

Organizing Committee: Prof. Kevin Gallagher (International Relations), Prof. Dilip Mookherjee (Economics), Prof. Jonathon Simon (Public Health), and Prof. Adil Najam (Pardee Center).

poster-Dev-Works-wBoston University convened an all-day conference titledDevelopment That Works on Thursday, March 31, 2011, which brought together leading scholars and practitioners to discuss development ideas that have been demonstrated—or have the potential— to lead to sustainable and effective development.

The conference was organized by the Boston University Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future in collaboration with the Boston University Global Development program. The organizing committee of the conference included Prof. Kevin Gallagher (International Relations), Prof. Dilip Mookherjee (Economics), Prof. Jonathon Simon (Public Health), and Prof. Adil Najam (Pardee Center).

The conference was held at the 4th floor conference space at the BU School of Management (Hariri Building, 595 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston).

Videos/Publications

The conference report published by the Pardee Center is available in hard copy or as a downloadable PDF at no charge.

Video of the conference is available here.

The conference program was as follows:

Session I: Global Economic Governance

Chair: Kevin Gallagher, Associate Professor of International Relations, Boston University
Robert H. Wade, Professor Political Economy and Development, London School of Economics
Gerald Epstein, Professor and Chair of Economics and Co-director of Political Economy Research Institute (PERI), University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Amar Bhattacharya, Director, G-24

Session II: Investing in Development That Works
Chair: Jonathon Simon, Professor of International Health & Director, Center for Global Health and Development, Boston University
Nancy MacPherson, Managing Director, Evaluation, The Rockefeller Foundation
Iqbal Z. Quadir, Professor of Practice of Development & Entrepreneurship, and Founder & Director of The Legatum Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Doug Balfour, Chief Executive Officer, Geneva Global

Remarks by Virginia Sapiro, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Boston University Remarks by John R. Harris, Professor of Economics, Boston University

Session III: Social Enterprise
Chair: Adil Najam, Frederick S. Pardee Professor of Global Public Policy and Director, The Pardee Center, Boston University
Calestous Juma, Professor of the Practice of International Development and Director of Science, Technology, Globalization, Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
Kabir Kumar, Microfinance Analyst, Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP)
Liam Brody, Senior Vice President, Business Development and Corporate Relations, Root Capital
Una Ryan, O.B.E., Chief Executive Officer, Diagnostics for All

Session IV: Economic Development
Chair: Dilip Mookherjee, Professor of Economics & Director of the Institute for Economic Development, Boston University
Abhijit V. Banerjee, Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics and Director of Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Asim Ijaz Khwaja, Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
Mark Rosenzweig, Frank Altschul Professor of International Economics & Director, Economic Growth Center, Yale University

The goal of the conference was to highlight the ideas and trends that are the basis for effective development, especially those that have the potential to reach sustainable outcomes. The conference’s objective was not to present individual “success stories” per se, but rather to explore the larger concepts and opportunities that have resulted in – or have the potential to result in – development that is meaningful and sustainable in the longer-run. The conference sought to make a critical assessment of why and how some development programs take hold. The goal was to incite a conversation focused on the broader lessons to be learned about ‘development that works’.

A web report of the conference is available here and the conference report published by the Pardee Center is available here.