Global Development Research

Implementing solutions for global socioeconomic development and poverty alleviation is a daunting challenge. Through the Pardee Initiative as well as RAND International, students and RAND researchers conduct extensive work in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Latin America. They explore global human development efforts like youth unemployment, migration, the effects of climate change on developing countries, and improving governance.

Student-Faculty Research Collaborations

Through project-based research and other experiential learning opportunities, students work with faculty mentors to obtain professional skills and tacit knowledge that courses alone cannot convey. Here are a few recent projects and their resulting research.

  • People walk on flooded land beside the Padma River as the flood situation worsens in Munshiganj district, on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 25, 2020, photo by Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters

    Addressing Climate Migration

    As the effects of climate change increase in scope and severity, more people will relocate to preserve or enhance their lives and livelihoods. Jay Balagna (cohort '20) and Prof. Aaron Clark-Ginsberg review how six countries are managing climate mobility and provide options for policymakers considering the needs of climate migrants and their host communities.

  • Laura Ng, who has lupus and had to recently call at least five pharmacies before she could find a place to fill her hydroxychloroquine prescription, in Seattle, Washington, March 31, 2020, photo by Lindsey Wasson/Reuters

    The Unintended Consequences of a Proposed Cure for COVID-19

    The very discussion of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as therapeutic options against COVID-19 has decreased their availability for proven treatments, exacerbated global shortages, fueled an already rampant counterfeit drug market in Africa, and worsened trade tensions. Student Sangita Baxi (cohort '17) and professors Krishna Kumar and Todd Richmond ask, What can be done to deal with the unintended consequences caused by the elevated profile of these drugs?

Explore Pardee RAND student-authored research on Global Development »

Faculty Mentors

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Recent Dissertations

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