In Pursuit of Development

How public institutions become captured | Elizabeth Dávid-Barrett

29 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Corruption is often imagined as a bribe paid to speed up a permit, avoid a fine, or gain access to a public service. But some of the most damaging for...

Why the UN looks different from the Global South | Alanna O’Malley

22 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of In Pursuit of Development, Dan Banik speaks with Alanna O’Malley, Professor and Chair of Global Governance & Wealth and Head of D...

The poverty trap that kills a million people a year | Madhukar Pai

15 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Why does tuberculosis remain one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases even though it is preventable and curable? In this episode of In Pursu...

Can aid still fight poverty? | Elina Scheja

08 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What happens to development cooperation when aid budgets are cut, geopolitical tensions rise, and poverty reduction competes with a growing range of s...

Can Asia still deliver the development dream? | Philip Schellekens

01 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Asia is often described as the great success story of modern development, a region of rapid growth, falling poverty, rising middle classes, and extrao...

Urbanization, inequality and the future of development | Benjamin Bradlow

25 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Banik speaks with Benjamin H. Bradlow, Assistant Professor of Sociology and International Affairs at Princeton University, about how cities can gr...

Why the middle class will shape global development | Homi Kharas

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Banik speaks with Homi Kharas about one of the most important yet surprisingly underexplored forces in modern development: the rise of the global ...

Artificial intelligence and the future of human decision-making – Francesco Marcelloni

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how societies function — from healthcare and education to governance, public debate, and the future ...

Why India–China relations could reshape the global order – Manoj Kewalramani

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

India-China relations are entering a new phase of cautious re-engagement after five years of deep tension following the 2020 Galwan clash. Leaders hav...

Can philosophy save a world obsessed with power? – Thomas Pogge

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In an era of intensifying great-power rivalry, shrinking foreign aid budgets, and declining faith in multilateralism, what role is left for global jus...

Debt, development finance, and global agency – David McNair

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of In Pursuit of Development, Dan Banik is joined by Dr. David McNair, Executive Director of ONE.org, for a conversation on the future...

Six economists and the making of modern development – David Engerman

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of In Pursuit of Development, Dan Banik speaks with Yale historian David Engerman about how “development” became one of the most p...

Making evidence actually usable – Lindsey Moore

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This episode of In Pursuit of Development explores how AI is reshaping the way development organizations learn from evidence, unlocking lessons buried...

Vietnam’s remarkable development turnaround – Arve Hansen

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Vietnam is often held up as one of the world’s standout development success stories—rapid growth, dramatic poverty reduction, and a transformation...

Energy for growth on the African continent – Todd Moss

21 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Electricity is often treated as a basic development milestone. But in large parts of the African continent, the deeper challenge is not only connectin...

Looking back, thinking forward – Dan Banik

23 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As the year comes to a close, this special year-end episode of In Pursuit of Development offers a reflective look back at the conversations that have ...

Climate, conflict and the development squeeze – Florian Krampe

17 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Banik and Florian Krampe explore how climate change is reshaping development and security debates -- not as a single cause of conflict, but as a f...

Aid at the breaking point – Nilima Gulrajani

10 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Foreign aid is under pressure. Budgets are shrinking, politics are hardening, and trust between donors and recipients is wearing thin. In this episode...

How Latin America sees the new Global South – Benedicte Bull

06 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Banik sits down with Benedicte Bull, professor of political science at the University of Oslo’s Centre for Global Sustainability, to unpack how ...

Borders, bargains, and the business of smuggling – Max Gallien

03 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Smuggling is often portrayed as a shadowy threat to state authority — a world of criminals, traffickers, and dangerous border crossings. But in many...

Solidarity in a divided world – Cecilia Bailliet

29 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dan Banik speaks with Cecilia Marcela Bailliet, the UN Independent Expert on Human Rights and International Solidarity and Professor ...

When evidence meets Washington politics – Dean Karlan

26 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dan Banik speaks with economist Dean Karlan, the Frederic Esser Nemmers Distinguished Professor at Northwestern University and former...

China’s evolving role in global development finance – Hong Bo

19 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As globalization gives way to fragmentation, the politics of finance and development are shifting fast. Tariffs, trade wars, and geopolitical rivalrie...

Power, policy, and the future of global development – Rachel Glennerster

12 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of In Pursuit of Development, Dan Banik sits down with Rachel Glennerster, President of the Center for Global Development (CGD), to di...

Democracy against the odds – Happy Kayuni

08 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Malawi has once again gone to the polls, reaffirming its reputation as one of Africa’s most enduring democracies. In September 2025, former presiden...

The protest that changed Serbia – Nemanja Džuverović

05 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One year after a deadly train-station collapse in Novi Sad that killed sixteen people, Serbia’s student-led protests have become a powerful challeng...

Why choosing sides is out of style – Jorge Heine

01 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dan Banik speaks with Jorge Heine, a seasoned diplomat, former Minister of State, and Chile’s ambassador to China, India, and South...

Who gains from AI? Human development in a divided world – Pedro Conceição

29 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of In Pursuit of Development, Dan Banik speaks with Pedro Conceição, Director of the United Nations Development Programme’s Human ...

Africa’s pulse: Listening to citizens in an age of uncertainty – Joseph Asunka

25 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As global politics shifts and economic pressures mount, understanding what citizens actually think — not what outsiders assume they think — has ne...

Bangladesh: How a ‘basket case’ became a development pioneer – Naomi Hossain

22 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Bangladesh is often described as one of the great development success stories of recent decades. Poverty has fallen sharply, life expectancy has risen...

How to Save the United Nations from Financial Meltdown — Ronny Patz

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The United Nations is facing its worst financial crisis in decades. Compared to its 2023 peak, total UN spending has fallen by almost one-third.While ...

From crisis to possibility – Dan Banik

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the first episode of In Pursuit of Development Season 6, host Dan Banik returns after an unexpected year-and-a-half hiatus following a serious heal...

Empowering Bureaucrats for Better Government Performance — Dan Honig

13 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Season finale!  It is my great pleasure to welcome back a person I have very much enjoyed speaking with earlier— Dan Honig, an Associate Professor ...

Rising Powers and the New Global Order — Rohan Mukherjee

06 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The liberal international order, characterized by rules-based multilateralism and values such as openness and representation, is often portrayed in t...

Great Power Competition and the Global South — Ilaria Carrozza

29 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The ever-evolving world of global power dynamics is characterized by the complex relationships between large economies such as the United States and C...

Politics, power, and resistance — Ian Shapiro

22 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A central theme in Ian Shapiro's extensive body of research is the concept of domination, which captures the reactive nature of human beings towards p...

Administrative Capacity and Its Impact on Development in Pakistan — Sameen A. Mohsin Ali

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Effective bureaucracies are pivotal in mobilizing resources, implementing development projects, and ensuring equitable distribution of growth benefits...

Infrastructure, Governance, and Society in Modern Africa — Karuti Kanyinga

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A common concern voiced by leaders in many developing nations is the deterioration of their road systems and the apparent hesitance of the internation...

Politics of the Planet — Lan Marie Nguyen Berg

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The continued reliance on a "business as usual" model is insufficient for countering the detrimental consequences of global warming. Numerous studies,...

Tackling the Energy Access and Development Challenge — Jörg Ankel-Peters

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Many nations around the world are grappling with the challenge of providing reliable and sustainable energy access to their populations. Half a billio...

The US-China Partnership That Transformed International Trade — Elizabeth Ingleson

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the fabric of today's interconnected globe, "Made in China" has emerged as a richly layered emblem, intertwined with economic, political, and cultu...

Empowering Change: Leadership's Role in Global Development — Willem Fourie

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Effective leadership is characterized by its ability to inspire collective action, foster inclusivity, and navigate the intricate dynamics of politica...

Cityscapes and Sanctuaries: Exploring the Socio-Spatial and Religious Dynamics of Johannesburg and Lagos — Obvious Katsaura

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The African continent is projected to have the fastest urban growth rate in the world: by 2050, Africa’s cities will be home to an additional 950 mi...

Voices and Votes: Shaping the Democratic Landscape in Africa — Boniface Dulani

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The landscape of democracy in Africa is characterized by a dynamic interplay between achievements and obstacles, particularly as the continent approac...

Democracy in the Balance: Navigating Latin America's Political Landscape — Gerardo Munck

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The political landscape of Latin America has undergone major transformation since the democratization wave of the 1980s and 1990s. During this time, m...

The Globalization of Finance and Its Impact on State Building — Didac Queralt

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

An increasing number of countries are struggling with rising debt and facing defaults. A recent World Bank report revealed that developing countries p...

The Genesis of the Human Development Report and Index — Meghnad Desai

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The landscape of development theory, measurement, and policy was transformed in 1990 with the publication of the first Human Development Report by the...

Global Structural Reform: Poverty, Freedom, Justice, and Innovation — Thomas Pogge

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We explore the idea that the gravest deficits in freedom are intrinsically linked to poverty, impacting individuals and nations worldwide. We also exa...

The Future of Industrialization – Jostein Hauge

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Few events have transformed society as profoundly as the Industrial Revolution. The introduction of the factory system not only revolutionized the pro...

Development as a Right: Unpacking Principles and Practices — Surya Deva

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The right to development enables individuals and communities to actively participate in and benefit from various forms of development — economic, so...

Shifting Paradigms: The Global South and Feminist Political Economy Unveiled — Sara Stevano

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The term "Global South" has seen an exponential rise in both academic discourse and international policy dialogues, having evolved from a mere synonym...

Beyond Trade: China's Cultural and Political Relations in Africa – Joshua Eisenman

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

China's burgeoning relationship with the African continent has been characterized by significant economic investment, trade, and infrastructure develo...

Accountability in Action: The World Bank's Inspection Panel on the Frontlines – Ramanie Kunanayagam

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Established as an independent complaints mechanism in 1993, the Inspection Panel is tasked with bringing transparency and redress to those adversely a...

From Miracle to Menace: The Fight Against Plastic Pollution — Gloria Majiga

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Once heralded as a miraculous material, plastic now poses a slow and insidious threat to our waterways, landscapes, and ecosystems. Plastic pollution ...

Decoding Development: The Crucial Role of Institutions – Shiping Tang

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Development implies not just growth over a significant period of time but also progressive changes in the structure of an economy. Many influential sc...

Making Sense of Cancer: Why Better Therapy Leads to More Disease – Jarle Breivik

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The overarching objective of cancer research, championed by organizations like the US National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society, is to...

Beyond Red Tape: Unraveling Bureaucratic Paradoxes in Public Service Delivery – Akshay Mangla

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Scholars have highlighted the extent to which institutions in certain developing countries often lack the power to effectively project authority and ...

Unpacking the Backlash Against Globalization and its Impact on Inequality – Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Globalization is a force that has transformed our world in ways both remarkable and challenging. From the historic wave of trade liberalizations in th...

A New Horizon: Advancing Public Sector Reform in Africa – Happy Kayuni

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many African countries have undergone various phases of public sector reform aimed at enhancing efficiency and service delivery. But how effective h...

Political Constraints in Growth and Development: Moving beyond talking about them to actually tackling them – Peter Evans

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Although political constraints have significant negative impacts on development, mainstream approaches to addressing these issues are often primarily ...

India's Aspirations on the Global Stage — Suhasini Haidar

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Humanity's Enduring Quest for Power and Prosperity – Daron Acemoglu

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We engage in a discussion centered around Daron Acemoglu's latest book, co-authored with Simon Johnson, titled Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year S...

Unveiling the Global Tapestry: Liberalism, Democracy, and the Path to Development – Francis Fukuyama

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Grounded in fundamental principles of equality and the rule of law, liberalism is a system for governing diverse societies and emphasizes the rights o...

Unraveling Brazil's political and legal landscape – Conrado Hübner Mendes

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the wake of President Lula's re-election, Brazil finds itself at a critical juncture, with numerous questions arising about the relationship betwee...

Planet & Progress: Navigating Climate, Poverty, and Aid — Anne Beathe Tvinnereim

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our world is currently facing numerous crises. While progress on global poverty reduction has stalled, the incidence of violent conflicts is on the ...

Forging New Paths in Challenging Geopolitical Landscapes — Stephen D. Krasner

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Steve Krasner has for decades been one of the most influential international relations scholars in the world. He is the Graham H. Stuart Professor o...

Unleashing the Power of Business to Change the World — Raj Kumar

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Although traditional approaches to aid may often have been well-intentioned, they relied heavily on large-scale endeavors initiated by a handful of ...

Using Evidence to Drive Policy and Achieve Lasting Development Impact — Rachel Glennerster

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There is considerable and growing attention and interest on understanding what works, where, how, and why in development. This also means there are...

Unpacking the complexities of corruption — Daniel Agbiboa

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The conventional wisdom is that corruption is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that has a significant impact on societies and individuals around ...

How industrialization reshapes modern ethnic identities — Elliott Green

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most important factors explaining ethnic change in the modern world is industrialization, which has resulted in significant changes in ...

How China's digital entrepreneurs are redefining innovation and reshaping the global economy — Lin Zhang

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Internet-based entrepreneurship has flourished in China for the past decade and a half. This includes start-ups in big cities, rural areas experien...

Making every dollar count — Ryan Briggs

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 man...

Patching development – Rajesh Veeraraghavan

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many well-designed development programs do not deliver social benefits effectively, especially to marginalized citizens. While political will and good...

Is economic growth the magic wand for ending poverty? — Charles Kenny

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 in...

A more fragmented world — Helen Clark

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest on this very special (100th) episode is someone I greatly admire and needs very little introduction. Helen Clark has engaged widely in poli...

The European Union and global development — Johanne Døhlie Saltnes

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The European Union is collectively the biggest provider of international aid in the world, contributing over € 50 billion a year to the fight ag...

Banking on Beijing — Axel Dreher

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

China plays a crucial role in the development policies of many countries around the world. It offers grants and loans, and builds major infrastructure...

Africa’s youth in the race for climate action — Hilda Flavia Nakabuye

18 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Fridays For Future is a youth-led  movement that began in August 2018. This movement was inspired by 15-year-old Greta Thunberg and other young activ...

Poverty and the new threat to prosperity — Indermit Gill

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The onset of the pandemic in 2020 marked a turning point in the 30-year pursuit of successful global poverty reduction. According to recent World Ba...

Rethinking "evidence" — Eivind Engebretsen and Mona Baker

11 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the past few decades, we have witnessed the rise and consolidation of “evidence-based medicine” among health professionals. This refers to a s...

Locally led development and the future of aid — Håvard Mokleiv Nygård

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The global development domain currently faces huge challenges. Apart from trying to stimulate economic growth and ensuring a fair distribution of the ...

The Wild World of WhatsApp — Jamie Hitchen

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The role of social media in spreading political misinformation has received considerable attention. But various forms of social media also facilitat...

Christmas special – The acronisation game

26 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

While much of the success of the show is due to my fabulous guests, I am also lucky to have a wonderful team to assist me at the University of Oslo. I...

Just copy us! Why can’t the rest of the world be more like Scandinavia? — Harald Eia

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Scandinavian countries are well-known for high standards of living and many people wonder about the origins of the welfare state model in Scandinavia ...

Contemporary state building and elite taxation in Latin America — Gustavo Flores-Macías

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

While many Latin American states have experienced severe public-safety crises in the context of fiscal duress, elite engagement in state building has ...

The power of the Chinese state: Examination, Autocracy, Stability, and Technology — Yasheng Huang

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wondered why the state in China is so powerful? Yasheng argues that Keju — the Imperial civil service examination — has historically maximiz...

Show me the money: Why cash transfers matter for development — Ugo Gentilini

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cash transfer schemes have grown in popularity in many parts of the world in the past few decades. Numerous studies find that cash transfer programs c...

Crises of democracy — Adam Przeworski

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Democracy is valued by many people because it enables us to achieve freedom and political equality in addition to numerous economic and social goals. ...

Silenced voices in global health — Address Malata

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Global health organizations are mainly located in the global North and experts from low- and middle-income countries are underrepresented in global h...

The development bargain — Stefan Dercon

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Development is a gamble because success is not guaranteed when benefits materialize in the long-term and a host of factors may undermine elite positio...

Transforming our global food system — Gunhild Stordalen

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Over 2 billion people in our world lack access to adequate food, and over 3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet. Between 2014 and the onset o...

Why we fight — Chris Blattman

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

While there are millions of hostile rivalries around the world, only a fraction of these erupt into violence. It is easy to overlook the underlying st...

Africa's right to development — Mo Ibrahim

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mo Ibrahim, a Sudanese-British entrepreneur, founded one of the largest mobile phone companies that operated on the African continent. In 2006, he ...

The pursuit of liberty and prosperity along a narrow corridor — Daron Acemoglu

30 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the bestselling book – Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty (2012), Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson ask why some nat...

Can fixing dinner fix the planet? — Jessica Fanzo

23 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A complex web of factors affects our ability not only to meet nutritional needs, but also our efforts to sustain biodiversity and protect the env...

The Life You Can Save — Peter Singer

16 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Peter Singer — one of the world’s most influential philosophers —  is the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University. Peter ...

Roadblock Politics — Peer Schouten

09 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In many parts of the African continent, there are so many roadblocks that it is indeed very hard to find a road that does not have one. But what is...

Russia Resurrected: Its Power and Purpose in a New Global Order — Kathryn Stoner

04 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has already caused untold suffering to millions of people and upended the global order as we know it. The international...

The power of ideas and metaphors in international development policy – Desmond McNeill

02 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In global development, ideas have power and some ideas or concepts such as social capital, human development, the informal sector, and sustainable dev...

Breaking Bad: Understanding Backlash Against Democracy in Africa — Lise Rakner

23 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There is a great deal of attention these days on the backlash against democracy around the world. In a forthcoming book, Democratic Backsliding in Afr...