Center for International Development

Center for International Development
Name	Center for International Development
Formation	1990s
Type	Research center
Headquarters	Cambridge, Massachusetts
Location	Harvard University
Leader title	Director

Contents

Center for International Development is a research center based at Harvard University focusing on applied analysis of international development challenges across low-income country contexts, global poverty alleviation initiatives, and institutional change. The center brings together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from institutions such as World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, International Monetary Fund, and national development agencies including United States Agency for International Development, Department for International Development, and Agence Française de Développement. Its work intersects with field partners like Grameen Bank, BRAC, Kiva, and research collaborators from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Yale University, Oxford University, London School of Economics, and University of Chicago.

History

The center emerged during a period of institutional consolidation in the 1990s when academic hubs such as Harvard Kennedy School and research units affiliated with Brookings Institution, Center for Global Development, and Overseas Development Institute sought to bridge scholars and practitioners. Early collaborations drew on comparative studies involving countries like India, China, Brazil, South Africa, and Bangladesh and policy dialogues tied to major international events including the World Summit for Social Development, Millennium Summit, and the formulation of the Millennium Development Goals. Directors and founding faculty have included scholars linked to awards and institutions such as the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, MacArthur Fellowship, John Bates Clark Medal, and think tanks like Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Hoover Institution. Over time the center expanded programmatic ties with multilateral forums such as the G20, United Nations General Assembly, World Economic Forum, and regional organizations including the African Union and ASEAN.

The center’s mission centers on evidence-driven interventions aimed at reducing global poverty, improving health outcomes in partnership with entities like World Health Organization and Gavi, and promoting institutional reforms exemplified by collaborations with Transparency International and Open Government Partnership. Objectives emphasize rigorous methodologies from randomized evaluations used by J-PAL, complex systems approaches related to work at Santa Fe Institute, and governance analyses akin to studies by International Institute for Strategic Studies. Priority goals include scaling innovations tested with partners such as PATH, Clinton Foundation, and Heifer International, informing policymaking in capitals including Washington, D.C., London, New Delhi, and Nairobi, and training future leaders through executive programs connected to Harvard Business School and John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Research themes span microfinance case studies with practitioners like Grameen Bank and Banco do Brasil, agricultural productivity projects involving Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research centers, and public health interventions studied in collaboration with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Médecins Sans Frontières. Programs include capacity-building fellowships modeled after partnerships with Fulbright Program and exchange initiatives linking to Chevening Scholarships and Rhodes Scholarship alumni networks. Methodological work draws on econometrics traditions exemplified by scholars at University of California, Berkeley and randomized trial networks connected to National Bureau of Economic Research and International Initiative for Impact Evaluation. Sectoral initiatives address urbanization challenges with inputs from United Nations Human Settlements Programme and climate resilience projects tied to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports and Green Climate Fund priorities.

The center influences policy through briefings, technical assistance, and collaborative studies with agencies like World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Bank, and bilateral donors such as Japan International Cooperation Agency and German Development Cooperation. Its convenings attract participants from corporate partners including Microsoft, Google, Mastercard Foundation, and philanthropic funders like Rockefeller Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York. Case studies have affected national reforms in countries once featured by Doing Business reports and informed program design for initiatives led by Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and UNICEF. The center also contributes to international dialogues at venues such as the United Nations General Assembly and policy summits hosted by World Economic Forum and G20 presidencies.

Governance typically involves an academic director drawn from faculties associated with Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, supported by an executive director, research faculty, and affiliated fellows from institutions including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Columbia University, Duke University, and Brown University. Advisory boards have included former policymakers and practitioners from United States Agency for International Development, World Bank Group, International Monetary Fund, and former cabinet officials from countries such as United Kingdom, India, Brazil, and South Africa. Leadership has engaged with global figures who participated in summits like the UN Climate Change Conference and award programs such as the World Food Prize.

Funding sources combine endowment support from university channels, competitive grants from funders such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and USAID, and contract research commissioned by multilateral development banks including World Bank Group and Asian Development Bank. Additional revenue streams include executive education fees tied to Harvard Kennedy School programs, philanthropic gifts from donors like Ford Foundation and Open Society Foundations, and partnerships with corporate research programs at IBM and Accenture. The center maintains data and computational resources interoperable with repositories and initiatives such as The World Bank Open Data, Humanitarian Data Exchange, and the International Household Survey Network.