The CGD Podcast

The Lasting Impact of the Middle East War for Low- and Middle-Income Countries with Mohamed El-Erian and Judy Woodruff 25.06.2026 30分

CGD Board Chair Mohamed A. El-Erian speaks with renowned journalist Judy Woodruff about the Middle East War's impacts on low- and middle-income countries, including how governments can best respond to shocks, implications for the global economy, and what to watch for in the months ahead.

Ending Violence in Schools with Dipak Naker and Gabriela Smarrelli 04.06.2026 34分

CGD's David Evans speaks with Dipak Naker of the Coalition for Good Schools and CGD's Gabriela Smarrelli on what the data shows about school violence (and what data is missing), how to conduct such research accurately and safely, and effective strategies for changing attitudes and practices around the world.

What Does the Iran War Mean for Low- and Middle-Income Countries? With Liliana Rojas-Suarez and Catherine Pattillo 13.04.2026 33分

CGD's Clemence Landers, Liliana Rojas-Suarez, and Catherine Pattillo look at how the Iran war compares to recent shocks like COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, how governments are responding—from fuel subsidies to rationing and currency interventions—and where the pressure is most acute, including in import-dependent economies in Southeast Asia and across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Tackling Child Marriage with Imran Matin and Kehinde Ajayi 05.03.2026 32分

CGD's Rachel Glennerster speaks with colleague Kehinde Ajayi and Imran Matin of BRAC University's Institute for Governance and Development about why child marriage persists and what evidence tells us about how to reduce it. They discuss how the drivers vary across contexts, and what policies have been shown to work, including education investments, empowerment programs for adolescent girls, and cash transfers designed to delay marriage.

Can Venezuela's Economy Recover? With Dany Bahar and Liliana Rojas-Suarez 21.01.2026 31分

Venezuela has experienced one of the deepest economic collapses in modern history. CGD's David Evans, Dany Bahar, and Liliana Rojas-Suarez examine how Venezuela reached this point, the conditions that need to be in place for a credible economic recovery, the role of oil and debt restructuring, and how the country can realistically chart a path out of poverty and back toward stability and growth.

Vaccines in a Changing Global Health Landscape with Seth Berkley 08.01.2026 55分

CGD's Rachel Glennerster speaks with Seth Berkley, former CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, about lessons from COVID-19 and how they should shape future vaccine development and delivery.

Inside the 2025 Commitment to Development Index with Ian Mitchell 11.12.2025 27分

In this episode, I speak with Ian Mitchell, the lead author of the 2025 Commitment to Development Index (CDI), about what this year's results reveal. We discuss why many countries have slipped in their overall contributions to global development, where progress is emerging, and how the CDI can guide smarter, more coherent policymaking across trade, migration, climate, technology, and development finance at a time of increasingly constrained budgets. Ian also reflects on the major trends shaping this year's index and urges policymakers and advocates to look beyond aid when thinking about how to drive real impact for the world's poorest countries.

Philanthropy's Evolving Role in Global Development with Katrina Sill 13.11.2025 39分

The landscape of global development is shifting—shrinking aid budgets, emerging funding models, and evolving priorities are forcing philanthropic capital to move faster, take greater risks, and fill critical gaps left by governments and multilateral institutions. What should the role of philanthropy look like? In this time of disruption, philanthropic donors are also presented with an opportunity to rethink, identify and remove barriers, and consider what changes can be truly game-changing. In this episode, I speak with Katrina Sill, Global Health and Development Lead at Founders Pledge, about their newly launched Catalytic Impact Fund. We discuss risk, impact, evidence, and how philanthropic entities can balance responding to immediate needs and foster resilient systems for the future.

Where AI Meets Development with Temina Madon and Han Sheng Chia 30.10.2025 38分

From chatbots supporting new mothers and nutrition coaches guiding families, to tutoring tools for children and apps advising farmers, artificial intelligence is beginning to find its place in development. But is it ready—and are we? In this episode of the CGD Podcast, I'm joined by Temina Madon, Executive Director of the Agency Fund, and Han Sheng Chia, CGD Fellow and Director of our new AI initiative. We discuss where AI shows promise—from health and education to livelihoods and agriculture—what risks it could amplify, and how the development community can ensure these technologies improve lives rather than deepen inequalities.

Saving Newborn Lives with Lord Jim O'Neill and Dr. Akhil Bansal 14.08.2025 35分

CGD's Rachel Glennerster speaks with Lord Jim O'Neill and Dr. Akhil Bansal on the nature and scale of the problem of neonatal sepsis, how an advance market commitment could help incentivize the development of a diagnostic, and what steps policymakers can take to help save newborn lives.

Remittances for Development with Manuel Orozco 31.07.2025 24分

CGD's Helen Dempster speaks with the Inter-American Dialogue's Manuel Orozco about the key role that remittances play in development, the impact of the new tax, and how remittances could be better supported and managed.

Climate Finance in an Era of Uncertainty with Dirk Meyer and Elizabeth Sidiropoulos 12.06.2025 27分

Following the 2025 Development Leaders Conference, CGD's Rachel Glennerster speaks with BMZ's Dirk Meyer and SAIIA's Elizabeth Sidiropoulos about conference takeaways, including whether climate should be a focus for development agencies, how to get more bang for your climate-change buck, and how developing countries might prioritize between climate mitigation and adaptation.

Racing to Preserve Life-saving USAID Programs with the Project Resource Optimization Team 05.06.2025 35分

After a large share of USAID's work was terminated, a small cadre of development experts created Project Resource Optimization, or PRO, to identify highly cost-effective, life-saving programs that were on hold and connect them with philanthropic donors who could fill the gaps. CGD's Erin Collinson speaks with two PRO team members, Rob Rosenbaum and Caitlin Tulloch, about the origins and limits of the PRO initiative, its successes to date, and the lessons from the work that could help re-envision US foreign aid.

CGD Podcast: Fiscal Policies for Equality 22.05.2025 27分

CGD's Sanjeev Gupta and Benedict Clements of Universidad de Las Américas discuss the considerations that influence the design of sound monetary and fiscal policies, the role of income taxes, and the kinds of reforms that can bring equity to both emerging and advanced economies.

Pandemic Proof: Preparing for What Comes Next 08.05.2025 13分

As the second season of Pandemic Proof comes to a close, host Javier Guzman reflects on the progress made in pandemic preparedness since COVID-19, the challenges we still face, and the rapidly shifting global landscape that will shape what comes next.

CGD Podcast: The Future of the African Development Bank with Three Presidential Candidates 24.04.2025 40分

Ahead of the African Development Bank's presidential election in May, CGD's Karen Mathiasen and AfriCatalyst's Daouda Sembene interview three of the candidates – Amadou Hott, Samuel Munzele Maimbo, and Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala – on their priorities for the Bank and their views on how to help steer countries through a volatile and uncertain time and achieve their development goals.

Pandemic Proof: Exploring Japan's Role in Strengthening Pandemic Preparedness Financing 10.04.2025 33分

Takahiro Tsuda and Atsushi Mimura from the Japanese Ministry of Finance join Javier Guzman to examine current funding mechanisms for pandemic preparedness and response, explore Japan's role in driving global efforts (and insights gained), and discuss potential pathways to strengthen PPR financing.

CGD Podcast: China-Africa Cooperation with Hannah Ryder and Yunnan Chen 27.03.2025 40分

CGD's Gyude Moore speaks with Hannah Ryder of Development Reimagined and Yunnan Chen of ODI Global about the evolution of China's relationship with Africa, the opportunities presented by FOCAC 9, and where the money should go to do the most good.

CGD Podcast: Addressing Adolescent Girls' Realities with Ruth Graham-Goulder and Rani Deshpande 30.01.2025 37分

CGD's Kehinde Ajayi speaks with UNICEF's Ruth Graham-Goulder and CGAP's Rani Deshpande about the importance of including adolescent girls' perspectives to inform policy, of working across sectors to provide multi-issue solutions, and of developing financial and economic interventions that reflect adolescent girls' realities.

Pandemic Proof: Funding the WHO for Pandemic Preparedness 12.12.2024 27分

Catharina Boehme, Assistant Director-General for External Relations and Governance at the WHO, joins guest-host Pete Baker to discuss the outcomes of the WHO Investment Round and the opportunities and risks it presents for strengthening global health and pandemic preparedness.