By Brigid Smith The History and Political Economy (HPE) Project and the Global Development Policy (GDP) Center held a two-day workshop on May 4 and 5 titled “What Time is It? Turning Points and Ruptures in Global Governance.” Co-directed by GDP Center Faculty Affiliate Quinn Slobodian, the HPE Project collaborated with the GDP Center to […]
By Tianyi Wu The current debt and development crisis in the Global South has resurfaced a long-standing tension in sovereign development finance: do tools designed to assess fiscal risk account for the investment needs countries must meet to grow out of debt? Recent debates often ask whether developing countries are facing unsustainable debt burdens. An […]
In 2019, China introduced the Belt and Road Initiative Debt Sustainability Framework (BRI–DSF) for low-income countries (LICs), offering a critical window into sovereign lending risk assessment practices. The rise of China as a bilateral lender raises the question of how Chinese development finance institutions (DFIs) generate and apply risk signals when lending to LICs, and […]
To reinforce commitments to international cooperation and policy research for global change, the Global Development Policy (GDP) Center has officially signed a new international academic partnership with the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics (SUIBE), aimed to bridge academic collaboration and action for policy solutions across borders. Last month, Meibo Huang from SUIBE visited […]
Starting school at an older age may result in greater health, educational, and economic well-being among children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), according to a new study by a School of Public Health researcher and Global Development Policy Center affiliate. Children who are younger for their grade often fall behind academically and eventually drop […]
By Keyi Tang As development finance tightens, the most important question may not be who is lending, but how domestic politics shapes where the money goes. When a foreign-financed road is opened, the picture is clear that this project will connect farmers to markets, lower transport costs and bring neglected communities closer to opportunity. But […]
By early 2025, debt servicing pressures had intensified. Interest payments exceed 10 percent of government revenues in 56 developing countries—double the level a decade earlier—and surpass 20 percent in 17 countries. Without substantial relief, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) warns of a potential “lost decade” for development. Rising debt distress has renewed concerns over […]
By Tianyi Wu In 2016, China committed $28.8 billion in infrastructure loans to African countries––a record peak that has been followed by a rapid drop as China shifted to the “small and beautiful” approach––with only $2.1 billion observed in 2024. This strategic shift reflects a fundamental recalibration of how China lends, but there is still […]
By Kaihui Song The year 2025 recorded the largest net addition to global coal capacity in over a decade, driven largely by China amid the country’s heightened energy security concerns. Recent geopolitical tensions, particularly the conflict in the Middle East, have disrupted liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply and prompted several countries to turn back to […]
By Richard Kozul-Wright Last month, the World Bank announced the return of Industrial Policy for Development in a report described as “the first comprehensive guide to industrial policy for development in the 21st century.” Running well over 250 pages and covering 15 policy tools, the latest edition concludes that industrial policy should be given its […]