Global Development Policy Center – Annual Report 2026

In its ninth year of operation, the GDP Center is proud to present the 2026 Annual Report. The report provides an overview of the Center’s work and outlines achievements made throughout the past year across all initiatives and strategic pillars. The 2026 Annual Report builds off the guiding vision set forth in the GDP Center’s Strategic Plan, 2023-2028.

In FY26, the GDP Center released a total of 125 publications including 32 articles in influential academic journals, conducted three database updates and wrote 40 opinion and commentary pieces featured in major media outlets. The Center also hosted 38 events that drew over 1,200 attendees and online viewers. With international partners from 26 countries and 59 Core and Affiliate Faculty spanning 20 schools and departments across BU, the Center cultivates a core constituency of experts to collaboratively research and envision solutions for the most pressing global development issues facing the world today.

About the GDP Center:

The Boston University Global Development Policy Center (GDP Center) is a policy-oriented research center working to advance financial stability, human well-being and environmental sustainability across the globe through rigorous interdisciplinary research, policy engagement and strategic communications.

There are two aspects that make the GDP Center unique among development-oriented centers across other academic institutions. First and foremost, the GDP Center recognizes that the development process is complex and thus, it is accordingly interdisciplinary in its approach. To that end, the Faculty Steering Committee is staffed with experts in law, engineering, business, public health, economics, sociology and global studies.

Second, the GDP Center places a premium on global engagement—generating concrete policy lessons from rigorous research and advancing them into the global discourse via strategic communications.

The ambition of the GDP Center is to be recognized for its intellectual leadership and global engagement. The GDP Center strives to not only be a think tank, but also a do tank.