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PODCAST

In Pursuit of Development

Step into conversations that travel across continents and challenge the way you think about progress. From democracy and inequality to climate resilience and healthcare, Dan Banik explores how societies navigate the complex terrain of democracy, poverty, inequality, and sustainability. Through dialogues with scholars, leaders, and innovators, In Pursuit of Development uncovers how ideas travel, why policies succeed or fail, and what it takes to build a more just and resilient world. Expect sharp

science social sciences

All Episodes

00:47:17

Making Sense of Cancer: Why Better Therapy Leads to...

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/12/06

The overarching objective of cancer research, championed by organizations like the US National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society, is to "end cancer as we know it". While this statement may suggest a future with less cancer, the stark reality unfolds quite differently. My guest argues that modern medicine is not in the process of ending cancer; rather, we are accelerating the problem. Globally, the number of new cases each year is estimated to increase from 18 million in 2020 to 28

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00:57:17

Beyond Red Tape: Unraveling Bureaucratic Paradoxes in...

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/11/29

Scholars have highlighted the extent to which institutions in certain developing countries often lack the power to effectively project authority and implement policies. There may also be a substantial gap between public policy objectives and their actual execution, which in turn reduces the credibility and legitimacy of the state. Bureaucracies exhibit significant variation in their ability to implement policies both between and within countries, across various policy functions, and even within

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01:02:04

Unpacking the Backlash Against Globalization and its...

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/11/22

Globalization is a force that has transformed our world in ways both remarkable and challenging. From the historic wave of trade liberalizations in the late 20th century to the monumental rise of China, an intricate interplay of a range of forces has molded the interconnected nature of our planet. Along the way, we have witnessed the decline of manufacturing in advanced economies and the far-reaching impacts of trade on global poverty, inequality, and labor markets. Despite a rapid advance for two

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00:54:27

A New Horizon: Advancing Public Sector Reform in...

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/11/15

Many African countries have undergone various phases of public sector reform aimed at enhancing efficiency and service delivery. But how effective have such reforms been? How and to what extent can some of these reforms be characterised as "institutional mimicry", where institutions adopt the language and behavior of reform without necessarily achieving substantial changes on the ground? How meritocratic is the civil service? And what about political interference, bureaucratic motivation and/or

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01:00:51

Political Constraints in Growth and Development:...

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/11/08

Although political constraints have significant negative impacts on development, mainstream approaches to addressing these issues are often primarily technical and lack a willingness to understand and address political economy factors. Despite decades of technical efforts in sectors like health, education, and climate, some critical problems persist, such as drug supply losses, tree planting failures, and chronic absenteeism in health and education. Peter Evans is a governance specialist with

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00:52:33

India's Aspirations on the Global Stage — Suhasini...

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/11/01

India's journey from a post-colonial nation to a global powerhouse has been nothing short of remarkable. The journey to this point has been marked by twists and turns, economic reforms, and strategic partnerships that have propelled India onto the world stage in ways that were once unimaginable. In the process, it has become an economic powerhouse, fostering innovation, trade, and partnerships that have set the world abuzz.But India's story isn't just about impressive economic growth. It's also

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00:48:10

Humanity's Enduring Quest for Power and Prosperity –...

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/10/25

We engage in a discussion centered around Daron Acemoglu's latest book, co-authored with Simon Johnson, titled Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity. The choices we make regarding technology can either advance the interests of a select elite or serve as the foundation for widespread prosperity. But technology's trajectory can be, and should be, controlled and directed for the benefit of all. The remarkable advances in computing over the past fifty years have

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01:02:30

Unveiling the Global Tapestry: Liberalism, Democracy,...

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/06/28

Grounded in fundamental principles of equality and the rule of law, liberalism is a system for governing diverse societies and emphasizes the rights of individuals to pursue their own forms of happiness free from government encroachment. But classical liberalism is in a state of crisis and is now being challenged from both the political right and the left. In his latest book – Liberalism and its discontents – Francis Fukuyama outlines some of the main reasons for the current state of crisis and

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00:49:12

Unraveling Brazil's political and legal landscape –...

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/06/21

In the wake of President Lula's re-election, Brazil finds itself at a critical juncture, with numerous questions arising about the relationship between the political, legislative, and judicial systems. As Brazil grapples with its political dynamics, it is crucial to understand the extent to which the judiciary maintains its autonomy and upholds the rule of law. In this episode, we dive deep into this crucial aspect, highlighting the challenges and potential implications for the country's democratic

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00:48:51

Planet & Progress: Navigating Climate, Poverty, and...

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/06/14

Our world is currently facing numerous crises. While progress on global poverty reduction has stalled, the incidence of violent conflicts is on the rise. Along with rising poverty and inequality in some parts of the world, geopolitical tensions are also fast escalating, and we are in the midst of a climate crisis that requires urgent political action. The resources available to address these numerous challenges appear, however, to be grossly inadequate. There is growing concern whether and to what

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00:50:01

Forging New Paths in Challenging Geopolitical...

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/06/07

Steve Krasner has for decades been one of the most influential international relations scholars in the world. He is the Graham H. Stuart Professor of International Relations and a Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute and the Hoover Institution.In 2002, he served as Director for Governance and Development at the National Security Council. And from 2005 to 2007, he was Director of the Policy Planning at the US Department of State. In his latest book, How to Make Love to a

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00:54:36

Unleashing the Power of Business to Change the World...

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/05/31

Although traditional approaches to aid may often have been well-intentioned, they relied heavily on large-scale endeavors initiated by a handful of aid agencies and international organizations. The situation today is very different. There are disruptive forces in the form of large corporations, Silicon Valley startups, and billionaire philanthropists, who are spearheading a paradigm shift towards data-driven and outcome-focused global development. Entrepreneurial startups are also offering a range

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00:51:43

Using Evidence to Drive Policy and Achieve Lasting...

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/05/24

There is considerable and growing attention and interest on understanding what works, where, how, and why in development. This also means there are numerous debates on how best we ought to generate evidence and measure development success and impact. One way of measuring development impact is through randomized control trials (RCTs), which have been very useful for establishing causal relationships and providing robust and reliable evidence for evaluating the effectiveness and safety of development

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00:53:43

Unpacking the complexities of corruption — Daniel...

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/05/17

The conventional wisdom is that corruption is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that has a significant impact on societies and individuals around the world. And most people would agree that corruption is bad. It can undermine the rule of law, erode public trust, and distort economic development. But there are those who argue that to truly address corruption, we must rethink our understanding of what it is and how it operates. This may include adopting a dialectical approach that pays attention

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00:53:08

How industrialization reshapes modern ethnic...

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/05/10

One of the most important factors explaining ethnic change in the modern world is industrialization, which has resulted in significant changes in the way we live and work, including changes in migration patterns and social structures. As people move from rural areas to urban centers, they may find themselves interacting with others from very different cultural backgrounds and must therefore adapt to new social norms and customs.Elliott Green is Professor of Development Studies in the Department of

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00:53:04

How China's digital entrepreneurs are redefining...

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/05/03

Internet-based entrepreneurship has flourished in China for the past decade and a half. This includes start-ups in big cities, rural areas experiencing an e-commerce boom, and middle-class women reselling luxury goods. My guest argues that for many of these individuals involved in digital entrepreneurship, reinventing oneself as an entrepreneur has been an appealing way to adapt to a changing economy and society. Indeed, this everyday labor of entrepreneurial reinvention is remaking China amid

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00:53:15

Making every dollar count — Ryan Briggs

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/04/26

Effective altruism has been in the news of late. Sam Bankman-Fried, the CEO of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, which collapsed in 2022, was for many years a leading voice for and financial sponsor of the effective altruist movement. He and others have argued for ‘longtermism’: the idea that positively influencing the distant future is a key moral priority of our time. As effective altruism and longtermism have become increasingly influential, these ideas have also been subject to greater

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00:55:34

Patching development – Rajesh Veeraraghavan

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/04/19

Many well-designed development programs do not deliver social benefits effectively, especially to marginalized citizens. While political will and good policy design are vital for a program’s success, they often run into resistance from local power systems. How states react to the local exercise of power that often comes into play at the “last mile” of project implementation appears to be particularly important. Indeed, the extent to which development programs avoid being captured by state or local

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00:54:01

Is economic growth the magic wand for ending poverty?...

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/04/12

Charles Kenny is a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development in Washington DC. He was previously at the World Bank, where his assignments included coordinating work on governance and anticorruption in infrastructure and natural resources, and managing investment and technical assistance projects covering telecommunications and the Internet. Charles has written several books, two of which we discussed in this conversation: Getting Better: Why Global Development is Succeeding, and Our World,

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00:46:09

A more fragmented world — Helen Clark

In Pursuit of Development ·

2023/04/05

Our guest on this very special (100th) episode is someone I greatly admire and needs very little introduction. Helen Clark has engaged widely in policy development and advocacy across the international, economic, social and cultural spheres. She was Prime Minister of New Zealand for nine years and has also served as the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme. Since 2019, she has chaired the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and in 2020, she was appointed

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