Center for International Development

Center for International Development
Name	Center for International Development
Formation	1998
Type	Research center
Headquarters	Harvard University
Location	Cambridge, Massachusetts
Key people	Ricardo Hausmann, Marcela Escobari
Website	https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/cid

Center for International Development. The Center for International Development is a prominent research center at Harvard University, specifically housed within the Harvard Kennedy School. Its mission is to advance sustainable development by generating foundational research, advising policymakers, and fostering collaboration across the global development community. Since its founding, the center has become a leading voice on issues of economic growth, structural transformation, and institutional reform in developing nations.

History

The center was established in 1998, building upon the work of the Harvard Institute for International Development which had been founded decades earlier. Its creation was significantly influenced by the intellectual leadership of economists like Jeffrey Sachs and Michael Porter, who emphasized the need for a multidisciplinary approach to development challenges. A pivotal early project was its advisory role in the Millennium Development Goals, helping to shape global policy frameworks. Over the years, it has expanded its geographic focus, conducting extensive work in regions from Latin America and the Caribbean to Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.

Research and publications

The center's research is organized around core themes including economic complexity, growth diagnostics, and the political economy of development. Seminal publications include the Atlas of Economic Complexity, co-created by Ricardo Hausmann and César Hidalgo, which provides a groundbreaking framework for analyzing a country's productive capabilities. Other major outputs include the Growth Lab research papers and policy briefs that inform governments and institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The center also maintains influential data tools and visualizations, such as those tracking global trade and migration patterns.

Programs and initiatives

Key programs include the Growth Lab, which conducts multi-year engagements with partner governments on growth strategy, and the Building State Capability program, which focuses on Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation methodologies. The center runs executive education programs for senior officials from countries like Colombia, Albania, and Rwanda. It also hosts the International Development Fellows program, placing recent graduates within development organizations. Major initiatives have addressed specific challenges such as Venezuela's migration crisis and Jordan's economic transformation.

Organizational structure

The center operates as an integral part of the Harvard Kennedy School, reporting to the school's dean. Its research is conducted by a blend of faculty, senior fellows, and a large team of research assistants and project managers. It maintains collaborative partnerships with other Harvard entities like the Harvard Business School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Funding is derived from a mix of foundation grants, government contracts, and private donations from organizations such as the Mastercard Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Notable people

The center has been directed by prominent development economists, most notably Ricardo Hausmann, former Minister of Planning for Venezuela and Chief Economist of the Inter-American Development Bank. Other notable faculty and senior fellows include Lant Pritchett, known for his work on state capability and education; Matt Andrews, a leader on public sector reform; and Marcela Escobari, who has led major initiatives on migration and economic opportunity. Distinguished visiting practitioners have included former Prime Minister of Pakistan Shaukat Aziz and Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences laureate Amartya Sen.

Impact and recognition

The center's research has directly influenced national economic policies in dozens of countries, including Peru's diversification strategy and Ethiopia's industrial policy. Its complexity metrics are widely used by institutions like the European Commission and the Asian Development Bank. The work of the Growth Lab in Chile and Panama has been cited as a model for evidence-based policy advising. The center's digital resources are considered global public goods, utilized by researchers, journalists, and policymakers worldwide to analyze development trajectories.

Category:Harvard University research centers Category:International development organizations Category:Organizations based in Cambridge, Massachusetts