Sharing my thoughts from a recent panel I participated in, “How Can Africa Prosper in the New Economy?”, here at Davos.

Wonderful to talk to Mosa Moshabela, President of University of Cape Town, here at WEF about antibiotics—a powerful tool that has saved missions of lives—and the growing threat of antibiotic resistance, and economics at UCT.

This week, I'm at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Here are a few things I'm looking out for. Stay tuned for more reflections and conversations as the week progresses.

@cgdev.org is hosting a lineup of thought-provoking events during the IMF & World Bank Annual Meetings. We hope to see you there!
#CGDEvents #2025AnnualMeetings

I'm doing more @cgdev.org podcast hosting. Listen & give me feedback. Who else would you like to hear me interview?

Here I ask Lord Jim O'Neill & Dr. Bansal about spurring innovation into a diagnostic for sepsis. Why sepsis diagnostic? Why incentives? How best to prompt innovation.

House Appropriators Seek Cuts to US International Assistance But Would Moderate Administration's Proposed Overhaul The bill would level a considerable blow to that budget—about a 22 percent reduction in funding from last fiscal year's enacted level, although far less steep once factoring in the recent rescissions ...

Confused about what is in & what is out from US Foreign Assistance following changes made by the House to Trump's original budget?

This fantastic @cgdev.org explainer by @ecollinson.bsky.social & Justin Hurley is super clear incl what we dont know.

Now to the Senate!
www.cgdev.org/blog/house-a...

Jishnu points out India did have world class institutions but they have deteriorated. Zimbabwe saw the biggest increase in education ever sern as soon as the British left. It's not the lack of aid. LMICs have to self fund universities and importantly create academic freedom.

Jishnu says most common question he gets at conferences from students is not "how can I work on questions that are relevant and important to LMICs" but "will this question get me a paper in QJE or other top journal"

Oriana Bandiera points out that we need to move conferences on development economics so that they happen in LMICs. She has done this and it's been a great success.

We need to set up world class institutions on the African continent. Leonard Wantchekon did this by setting up the African School of Economics.

Jishnu Das, economics is the most concentrated/monopolistic disciplines.

Leonard Wantchekon points out never been African on editorial board of Journal of Development Economics.

This is reflected in a mismatch between the problems policy makers in Africa care about and what academics write about.

And even fewer papers with coauthors from Africa.

Markus Goldstein making the point that there are very few papers in top economics journals on sub Saharan Africa.

Arvind Panagarian on whether India can become developed econ by 100 years from independence. Recent trends suggest possible but real challenges incl 46% workforce in agriculture and 40% workers in enterprises in firms with less than 10 workers.

As development experts we have pushed nonexperts away, saying it was too complicated for regular people to understand. That is not good for building support. Radically simplifying would help us communicate better and make for more effective aid.

If you are looking for more careful analysis of the impact of the US aid cuts on lives, my colleagues @charlesjkenny.bsky.social and (now ex colleague) @justsand.bsky.social recognize the challenge that aid may crowd in or crowd out other financing. 4/
www.cgdev.org/blog/how-man...

I did find it interesting that their estimated impact of US assistance is much higher for HIV and malaria--areas of specific US focus--than for other diseases. Has anyone done this disease specific analysis more appropriately? 3/

Authors "control" for things like health expenditure & hospital beds which US funding can directly impact. Why is that bad? One criticism of aid is that it displaces domestic spending. By "controlling" for health spend you are ruling out crowding out. However......2/

Finally read the @thelancet.com article claiming US foreign assistance cuts will lead to 14mill deaths up to 2030 which has garnered much media attention. It's problematic to say the least, X-country regression with mortality on left and US spending per head on right. 1/ 🧵

Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics 2025: Development in the Age of Populism Bringing together some of the world’s leading economic thinkers, the conference will help identify the best way forward—with deep dives on key topics such as artificial intelligence, migration, nutrit...

Details for this year's #ABCDE are now posted -- looking forward to new ideas from this big (four days!) program full of #EconSky folks including @rglenner.bsky.social , @markusgold.bsky.social, @eeshani.bsky.social etc. from @cgdev.org, @dannyquah.bsky.social @randomwalker.bsky.social & many others

thanks, that makes slightly more sense but still surprised its that high on the list

Does anyone know how and why Sierra Leone is on this list of countries from which travel to US is partially restricted because of concerns about terrorism? I can think of a lot of countries with much worse levels of terrorism.

Donors are facing tough choices on which education funds to support in the coming months and by how much. @leecrawfurd.bsky.social and I set out some criteria for how to prioritize funding.

How to save 400,000 babies a year We can keep saving lives when foreign aid is dying.

@dylanmatt.bsky.social covers how the team—Jim O’Neill, Michael Kremer, @rglenner.bsky.social, Chris Snyder, Akhil Bansal, @siddhharia.bsky.social (and more!)—is working to tackle this problem in @voxdotcom.bsky.social:
www.vox.com/future-perfe...

Cutting through the Noise: Identifying Smart Bets in AI Applications for Development There are more than 450 AI applications targeting health or education outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, but not every application will prove cost-effective. How can the development sector ...

AI is advancing fast, but evidence on what works for dev. is still emerging.

@hanshengchia.bsky.social & @markusgold.bsky.social propose a 3-part framework to guide smart AI investments:

1️⃣ Supercharge proven solutions
2️⃣ Tackle known problems
3️⃣ Explore unknowns

More:
www.cgdev.org/blog/cutting...

A matchmaking service with a twist: Connecting big givers to programs cut by USAID A former USAID worker has a new mission. She's hoping to connect philanthropists with overseas programs that have lost — or are likely to lose — their U.S. funding.

USAID cuts have left major aid programs without funding. @cgdev.org is now hosting a team analyzing which ex-USAID programs are most cost-effective—and connecting them with donors willing to step in.

Learn more in @npr.org:
www.npr.org/sections/goa...

A matchmaking service with a twist: Connecting big givers to programs cut by USAID A former USAID worker has a new mission. She's hoping to connect philanthropists with overseas programs that have lost — or are likely to lose — their U.S. funding.

@cgdev.org we have produced a lot of analysis showing the impact of USAID cuts.

In a new initiative, a team is identifying some of the most cost-effective exUSAID programs that can still be rescued and match them with donors willing to fund them.
www.npr.org/sections/goa...

Excited to welcome @daveevansphd.bsky.social back to @cgdev.org. Dave embodies the best of CGD--innovative ideas on the big challenges grounded in data and rigorous research and making practical implementable suggestions.