Harvard Center for International Development
Harvard Center for International Development
Incredible progress has been made throughout the world in recent years. However, globalization has failed to deliver on its promises. As problems like unequal access to education and healthcare, environmental degradation, and stretched finances persist, we must continue building on decades of transformative development work.
The Center for International Development (CID) is a university-wide center based at the Harvard Kennedy School that seeks to solve these pressing development problems—and many more.
At CID, we believe leveraging global talent is the key to enabling development for all. We teach to build capacity, conduct research that guides development policy, and convene talent to advance ideas for a thriving world. Addressing today’s challenges to international development also requires bridging academic expertise with practitioner experience. Through collaborative, in-country partnerships, CID’s research programs, faculty, and students deploy an analytical framework and context-dependent approaches to tackle development problems from all angles, in every region of the globe.
The Center for International Development (CID) is a university-wide center based at the Harvard Kennedy School that seeks to solve these pressing development problems—and many more.
At CID, we believe leveraging global talent is the key to enabling development for all. We teach to build capacity, conduct research that guides development policy, and convene talent to advance ideas for a thriving world. Addressing today’s challenges to international development also requires bridging academic expertise with practitioner experience. Through collaborative, in-country partnerships, CID’s research programs, faculty, and students deploy an analytical framework and context-dependent approaches to tackle development problems from all angles, in every region of the globe.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 7, 2023 • 31min
Democratizing Data for Sustainable Development
Unlock the power of data democratization in our latest episode featuring Wolfgang Fengler, CEO of World Data Lab. As the driving force behind an initiative that aims to democratize data globally, Fengler discusses the urgent need to shift from backward-looking data to to break down data into relevant and actionable pieces, with a focus on critical areas like global emissions for informed decision-making and sustainable development. Join us as we delve into the challenges of organizing and harnessing and breaking down available data into relevant and actionable pieces in order to democratize information.

Jun 26, 2023 • 46min
The opportunity of climate philanthropy in India
Welcome to the Harvard Center for International Development’s Road to GEM23 Climate & Development podcast. At CID, we work across a global network of researchers and practitioners to build, convene, and deploy talent to address the world’s most pressing challenges. On our Road to GEM23, we strive to elevate and learn from voices from the countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis and will feature learnings from leading researchers and practitioners working to combat climate change.
In this episode, we are joined by Shloka Nath, CEO of the India Climate Collaborative (ICC); and Manavi Bhardwaj, Senior Manager at ICC.
The India Climate Collaborative is a first-of-its kind, India-focused collaborative that seeks to direct funding and visibility towards climate action in India. The ICC is incubated by the Tata Trusts, and legally registered as the Council of Philanthropies for Climate Action.
Shloka and Manavi are joined by Manasa Acharya, a CID Student Ambassador alum and a graduate of urban planning at the Harvard Graduate School of Design 23'. The three discussed the work of the India Climate Collaborative and the role of climate philanthropy to scale solutions in the country.

Jun 21, 2023 • 33min
Loss & damage obligations, non-political climate policies, and compelling climate communication
Welcome to the Harvard Center for International Development’s Road to GEM23 Climate & Development podcast. At CID, we work across a global network of researchers and practitioners to build, convene, and deploy talent to address the world’s most pressing challenges. On our Road to GEM23, we strive to elevate and learn from voices from the countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis and will feature learnings from leading researchers and practitioners working to combat climate change.
In this episode, we are joined by Michael Oppenheimer is the Albert G. Milbank Professor of Geosciences and International Affairs in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), the Department of Geosciences, and the High Meadows Environmental Institute at Princeton University. He is also the Director of the Center for Policy Research on Energy and the Environment (C-PREE) at SPIA.
Oppenheimer previously worked with The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) where he served as chief scientist and manager of the Climate and Air Program. He continues to serve as a science advisor to EDF.
Oppenheimer is also a long-time participant in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, most recently serving as a Coordinating Lead Author on IPCC’s Special Report on Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (2019) and as a Review Editor on the upcoming Sixth Assessment Report.
Oppenheimer is joined by CID Student Ambassador Yan Liang to discuss climate adaptation policies and the systemic changes for improved mitigation and resiliency across sectors.

Jun 21, 2023 • 31min
Ensuring a just energy transition: minimizing resource extraction for environmental justice
Welcome to the Harvard Center for International Development’s Road to GEM23 Climate & Development podcast. At CID, we work across a global network of researchers and practitioners to build, convene, and deploy talent to address the world’s most pressing challenges. On our Road to GEM23, we strive to elevate and learn from voices from the countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis and will feature learnings from leading researchers and practitioners working to combat climate change.
In this episode, we are joined by Scott Sellwood, Policy Lead, Human Rights & Extractive Industries at Oxfam America. Scott is joined by CID Student Ambassador, Charles Hua, to discuss environmental justice and natural resource extraction during a transition towards clean energy globally.
Read more about Scott on Oxfam's website here: https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/people/scott-sellwood/
And on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/scott_sellwood

Jun 21, 2023 • 27min
Carbon markets, climate tech, and the pathway to carbon net-zero
Welcome to the Harvard Center for International Development’s Road to GEM23 Climate & Development podcast. At CID, we work across a global network of researchers and practitioners to build, convene, and deploy talent to address the world’s most pressing challenges. On our Road to GEM23, we strive to elevate and learn from voices from the countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis and will feature learnings from leading researchers and practitioners working to combat climate change.
In this episode, we are joined by Alvin Tian, A Post-Masters Research Fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School. Alvin founded BlockCarbon, a blockchain-based project aimed at facilitating and accelerating China's efforts to achieve carbon net-zero. Alvin has been a Mason Fellow at Harvard and a Sloan Fellow at MIT, where he has also earned an MPA degree and an MBA degree. His fields of study at Harvard and MIT include climate change, international relations, impact investing, venture capital, renewable energy, and blockchain.
Alvin is joined by CID Student Ambassador Charles Hua to discuss the pathway to carbon-zero

Jun 21, 2023 • 28min
Climate policy and diplomacy in the U.S. and China
Welcome to the Harvard Center for International Development’s Road to GEM23 Climate & Development podcast. At CID, we work across a global network of researchers and practitioners to build, convene, and deploy talent to address the world’s most pressing challenges. On our Road to GEM23, we strive to elevate and learn from voices from the countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis and will feature learnings from leading researchers and practitioners working to combat climate change.
In this episode, we are joined by Kevin Li, a Master's in Public Policy candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School. Previously, he worked with Deloitte Climate & Sustainability, advising Chinese companies on decarbonization and ESG; he also worked with the United Nations in China coordinating UN operational activities for development in the country.
Kevin is joined by CID Student Ambassador Charles Hua to discuss U.S.-China relations and global climate policy.

Jun 21, 2023 • 26min
Decarbonizing the built environment: roadblocks and pathways for the developing world
Welcome to the Harvard Center for International Development’s Road to GEM23 Climate & Development podcast. At CID, we work across a global network of researchers and practitioners to build, convene, and deploy talent to address the world’s most pressing challenges. On our Road to GEM23, we strive to elevate and learn from voices from the countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis and will feature learnings from leading researchers and practitioners working to combat climate change.
In this episode, we are joined by Kritika Kharbanda, a Master’s in Design Studies graduate(‘23)at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, specializing in Energy and Environments. During her time at Harvard, she was also the Chang Social Innovation Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School. Kritika also co-founder of Cardinal LCA, a digital platform that helps architects reduce greenhouse emissions from their buildings throughout all stages of design.
Kritika is joined by CID Student Ambassador Charles Hua to discuss the needs, process, and roadblocks for decarbonizing the building sector, especially for developing countries.
Learn more about Kritika on her LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kritika-kharbanda-kritika/

Jun 5, 2023 • 18min
Climate vulnerabilities and opportunities for India’s Informal women workers
Welcome to the Harvard Center for International Development’s Road to GEM23 Climate & Development podcast. At CID, we work across a global network of researchers and practitioners to build, convene, and deploy talent to address the world’s most pressing challenges. On our Road to GEM23, we strive to elevate and learn from voices from the countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis and will feature learnings from leading researchers and practitioners working to combat climate change.
In this episode, we are joined by Reema Nanavaty, Director, SEWA (Self-Employed Women’s Association) in India. SEWA is the single largest Central Trade union registered on 12th April, 1972 with a membership of over 2.5 million (2023) poor, self-employed women workers from the informal economy across 18 states in India.
Reema is joined by CID Student Ambassador and Graduate School of Design alum Manasa Acharya to discuss the implications of climate change on the informal workforce of women in India.
SEWA has been working for over 5 decades to improve the livelihoods of poor self-employed women workers from the informal economy, through various initiatives using technology, technical training, microfinance, market linkages, natural resource management etc. Learn more: https://www.sewa.org/about-us/

May 9, 2023 • 31min
Using data to build climate-resilient cities
Welcome to the Harvard Center for International Development’s Road to GEM23 Climate & Development podcast. CID's Road to GEM23 series precedes and helps launch CID’s Global Empowerment Meeting 2023 (GEM23), Growing in a Green World on May 10th and 11th. At CID, we work across a global network of researchers and practitioners to build, convene, and deploy talent to address the world’s most pressing challenges. On our Road to GEM23, we strive to elevate and learn from voices from the countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis and will feature learnings from leading researchers and practitioners working to combat climate change.
In this episode, we are joined by Rui Su, a consultant at the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) and the Social Sustainability and Inclusion (SSI) GP. She conducts data analytics on social resilience and inclusion by combining machine learning methods, geospatial analysis, and interactive visualization.
CID Student Ambassador and Harvard Graduate Student at the Graduate School of Design, Manasa Acharya, interviewed Rui Su to learn more about her work with City Resilience Program (CRP) and using data to inform communities about climate change and resilience across the world.

May 9, 2023 • 21min
Climate change modeling: applications and lessons for action
Welcome to the Harvard Center for International Development’s Road to GEM23 Climate & Development podcast. CID's Road to GEM23 series precedes and helps launch CID’s Global Empowerment Meeting 2023 (GEM23), Growing in a Green World on May 10th and 11th. At CID, we work across a global network of researchers and practitioners to build, convene, and deploy talent to address the world’s most pressing challenges. On our Road to GEM23, we strive to elevate and learn from voices from the countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis and will feature learnings from leading researchers and practitioners working to combat climate change.
In this episode, we are joined by Gavin Schmidt, Climatologist and Director of NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies who will describe the biggest challenges with modeling and predicting climate change effects across the world.
CID Student Ambassador and Harvard Graduate Student Yan Liang interviewed Gavin Schmidt to learn more about his insights on the complex mechanisms that drive climate change and identifying and mitigating effects of climate change on society in the coming years.


