The Center on Global Policy & Development (CGPD) launched at Stanford on Monday as a partnership between the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and the Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies (Stanford Seed).
The center combines research on poverty and development, educational opportunities for students and various fellowships. It also aims to initiate new collaborations with global policymakers to influence policy on poverty and development.
“Global poverty is extremely complex,” said director and medicine associate professor Grant Miller. “It demands multidisciplinary collaboration and meaningful engagement with decision makers. Stanford has a culture and proven track record of interdisciplinary research and real-world impact, and it is now poised to lead in work confronting global poverty and promoting development.”
On its website, CGPD emphasizes that it aims to build partnerships between multiple stakeholders, including policymakers, private-sector leaders and universities, to make tangible progress in alleviating poverty. Several new initiatives are already in the works at the center, including the Data for Development Initiative, which will use new data from sources such as satellite imagery and cellphone records to push the envelope on economic sustainability and development research, as well as on-the-ground fellowships and mentored research opportunities in middle- and low-income countries for students.
Jesper Sorensen, faculty director of Stanford Seed and the Robert A. and Elizabeth R. Jeffe Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford’s Graduate Business School, underscored the importance of university research and diverse perspectives in solving global issues.
“Ending the cycle of global poverty requires the kind of advances in fundamental knowledge that a research university can generate, and that’s what this center is going to provide,” said Sorensen. “The fact that we’re bringing together not only faculty and students from all parts of the University but collaborating with development experts worldwide is truly inspiring.”
The center will commemorate its opening with a launch event on Nov. 13. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who has served as finance minister of Nigeria and managing director of the World Bank Group, will deliver the keynote.
Contact Courtney Douglas at ccd4 ‘at’ stanford.edu