Skip to content
PodParley
GDP - The Global Development Primer podcast artwork

PODCAST · education

GDP - The Global Development Primer

by Dr. Robert Huish

The Global Development Primer podcast is about all issues in Global Development. Your host is Professor Bob Huish, broadcasting from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.The podcast covers a wide range of issues in International Development and features the work of researchers, practitioners, and policy makers from around the world.This is your podcast to learn more about the latest and most pressing issues in Global Development.

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Mar 5, 2025 · Source feed

Subscribe · 0 Bookmark

Episodes

  1. Development in the Era of Rupture

    In an era of compounding shocks and shifting borders, global development can no longer afford to be a sector that is procedurally sophisticated but politically naive. We must urgently explore how to move beyond linear models of development cooperation to build strategic resilience in a non-linear...

  2. Can international research centres be a means to a more sustainable and inclusive world?

    The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is a unique approach to global development that not only continues on, but may in fact thrive through one of the most turbulent times in Global Development. At a time when many foreign aid and global development agencies are folding up, IDRC...

  3. "Your Skepticism is Warranted": Claude AI

    I can't believe we're doing this. But here it is. Inspired by Senator #BernieSanders, I sit down with #ClaudeAi to have a conversation about any shady business going on with Ai. Data collection, microtargeting, and undermining democracy are all discussed with this ChatBot. We go further: I ask...

  4. No Good Can Come From This: Why is Trump isolating Cuba from the World?

    Donald Trump has bullied everyone. But when it comes to Cuba, Trump's bellicosity is different. Unlike many of the executive orders hastily signed with an immoderate sharpie stroke, Trump's economic weapons against Cuba are backed up with congressional acts dating as far back as the 1960s. This...

  5. Say "ayo" to the Fund for Armenian Relief.

    Armenia doesn't always get mentioned in Global Development dialogue, but the struggle for economic and social indepdence is very real among many at-risk communities within the country. The Fund for Armenian Relief has advanced fundraising and developed programs that go beyond meeting basic needs;...

  6. The School in the Market & The Market for Schools

    When Irene Pritzker walked into the Agbogbloshie Market in Ghana’s capital city of Accra in 2008, her heart ached. Inside the market was a small but growing school—Paulina’s Queensland School, run by entrepreneur Paulina Nlando—with between 100 and 150 students. It was in a desperate state of...

  7. The Whole World is Unimpressed: What now for Development?

    A year after Elon Musk and Donald Trump destroyed USAID, where is development today? The US took $68 billion dollars out of the global development budget last year. Other countries are slashing their budgets too. Now what? If global development was about positioning the US as a strategic ally...

  8. This is the most feared podcast in Texas

    If you're tuning in from Texas, keep listening. We're going to talk about what they don't want you to hear. In this episode of GDP, we're talking about academic censorship, in particular the case of Texas A&M banning Plato's Symposium. We bring in Platonic expert Eli Diamond to tell us exactly…

    more

  9. Is there a future in Global Development?

    Is there a future in Global Development? Will the U.S. be at the forefront of it? When it comes to the life saving services provided by USAID around the world, who will pick up the pieces? The answer is not clear, but Dennis Vega has seen this transformative moment in global development from the...

  10. What's all the Buzz about Bees and Sanctions?

    Could honey bees best explain how sanctions are supposed to work? To prevent bloodshed, sanctions are meant to to take down an opponent by a collective effort. That's how bees do it? How do we do it? In this episode we learn a lot about bees and draw some sticky connections and analogies to…

    more

  11. How Academia Resembles a Drug Gang

    "If I say you're a friend of mine, that means you're connected. If I say you're a friend of ours, that means you're a made guy. If I introduce you, I'm responsible for you. Anything wrong with you, I go down". That's how Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino) explains to Donnie Brasco (Johnny Depp) what it...

  12. Is Development Destroyed? Not so fast!

    US-based international development organizations will now need to heavily rely on private funding to grow—and even maintain—their operations around the world. Can that work? If so, what kind of programs are well-suited to private funding? World Neighbors, a nearly 75-year-old development...

  13. 89 Seconds to Midnight or: Iran's Big Beautiful Bomb

    "Do you recall what Clemenceau once said about war? He said war was too important to be left to the generals. When he said that, 50 years ago, he might have been right. But today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for...

  14. Today I saw a revolution

    "Today I Saw a Revolution" captures the remarkable life of Professor Badiul Majumdar, a visionary leader whose groundbreaking efforts have mobilized millions to end hunger in Bangladesh. This insightful biography offers a compelling look at the man behind the movement—his humble beginnings,...

  15. Thriving Through the Great Crash

    We have spent the last three weeks trying to emerge from the tariff-ridden, anti-immigration, lacking opposition, diabolical fever dream of Trump's Whitehouse. Here, the band comes back together to ask how we can actually thrive through this era. Big ideas are in this podcast. Some of them…

    more

  16. The Front Line of Hope And The Last Line of Sovereignty: Praise for Civilian Defense.

    What do you do when the Commander in Chief of the world's largest military starts popping off about annexing your country? Especially when that military is 10 times the size of your own? Panic? Enlist? Appease? Or Focus? And focus on what has worked in the past to repel such aggression. In…

    more

  17. The Empire Strikes Back: When Imperialists have the presidency.

    Supply Management, clean water, and universal health care all offend the Trump administration to the point of wanting it eliminated through annexation. The U.S. constitution is designed for annexation and expansion. It's also not the first time that Washington has threatened Canada with conquest....

  18. The Day Development Died

    A long, long time ago, I can still remember how foreign aid used to make me smile, and I knew if there was a chance that it could make those people dance, and maybe they’d be happy for a while. But February made me shiver, with every paper I’d deliver, bad news on the doorstep, I couldn’t take…

    more

  19. What is holding Human Development Back? The Fog of Misperception.

    Political polarization and disinformation is not just out of control - it is crippling Global Development. The 2023/2024 UNDP Human Development Report makes the case with sound methods and transparent data that political polarization is creating a trench in human development. We know about the...

  20. India's greatest strength and toughest challenge: Diversity

    India is experiencing dramatic change economically and politically. As India's influence continues to grow globally, what happens at home? And what happens in regions that have highly diverse populations along religious or cultural lines? Srijana Karki has worked in, and between, diverse...

  21. It's Gone Off the Rails: The Global Sustainability Crisis.

    We're 6 years out from the Sustainable Development Goals, and it's not looking good. The COVID-19 pandemic, Russia's war against Ukraine, and now war in the Middle East have put a handbrake on the global goals. What's more, the cost of everything has gone up, and it will likely mean that hundreds...

  22. Meet your New Neighbours: Why Cities Need More Help for Migration and Climate Crises

    Mass migration and climate change are urban crises. The lack of preparedness of cities around the world to handle climate adaptation is lagging. What's more the current and future stresses on mass migration due to climate and conflict will impact cities the most...and in particular a handful of...

  23. Send in the Clowns: Why Vladimir Putin Fears Comedians.

    "We all remember Alexander the Liberator [Alexander II] and Yaroslav the Wise [Yaroslav I]. Well, now we’ll have Vladimir the Poisoner of Underpants...and it is the duty of every person to defy him" Some of the final words from the late Russian Opposition Leader Aleksei Navalny. Navalny was a...

  24. Right Now, We Need You: A Story of Advocacy From a Father and Son Living with Autism

    In so many parts of the world children with intellectual disabilities are excluded from education opportunities. Once they are shunned, they are stigmatized. Once stigma sets in, entire families can fall victim to various acts of hatred. It is why inclusive education for persons with physical and...

  25. Live with the Tension: Rethinking Development Politics

    How many times have we pursued Global Development Projects, from agricultural technology to power grids, with the promise that it will all be okay, and then it falls short? All the time. How many times have Global Development Theories encouraged a change in discourse to rest upon idolized…

    more

  26. Soledad: What life is like for imprisoned asylum seekers in the United States

    Soledad is a documentary by Peabody Award Winner Lisa Molomot that tells the story of a young woman from Central America who was imprisoned in the Eloy Detention Facility when she sought asylum in the United States. Soledad set out on a perilous journey from her homeland after enduring horrific...

  27. Is Development Dead? Far from it: Get Ready For A New Era of Global Development Education

    There is a lot of talk amongst Global Development Studies as to whether or not the discipline itself is in decline. One of the key features of global development education was the opportunity to gain real world experience in cross-cultural settings. Dodgy past practices, climate concerns, and...

  28. The "Multilateralverse": What Multilateral firms do for development, and how you can join them.

    Clean energy is coming to Asia. But who is going to get it there? Multilateral development agencies like the Asian Development Bank are sometimes overlooked, or not well understood as important players by development scholars. But big ideas, big projects, and big dollars are involved in taking on...

  29. To the bankers: Better community-based savings and financing could lead to a more peaceful planet.

    2024 is turning out to be deadly for many. Expanding war in the Middle East, the war of attrition continues in Ukraine, and now gangs are trying over run Ecuador. How do we answer the question "Why is this happening"? To some degree the answer lies in understanding why young men, and they are...

  30. Think getting your grandparents connected to new technology is tricky? Try 3.7 billion people. Digitalization and International Development.

    If you think it's a real chore getting your parents or grandparents connected to new technology? Try 3.7 billion people! That's the digital divide we're facing today on a global scale. Industry wants to see this happen, and as we've seen in the past, there are ethical concerns about getting...

  31. Special Feature: Why Ukraine Is Running Low On Ammunition & Support on the Bill Kelly Podcast.

    ⁠CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE ON THE BILL KELLY PODCAST.⁠ Nearly two years into the war in Ukraine, is the west still paying attention, notably the United States? If funding or support from Washington wanes, will Ukraine be able to win a war of attrition against Russia? For this…

    more

  32. El miedo en el medio del mundo: Gang Violence Takes Ecuador.

    Ecuador has tumbled into a state of fear and peril. In early January 2024 armed men stormed a popular evening television show in Guayaquil. It was a brazen visualization of growing gang violence across the country. Under state of emergency, Ecuador is now facing declared internal conflict. Why?…

    more

  33. So you want to work in Global Development? Here's how.

    So you want a career in Global Development? You asked your professor about what to do next, and their response was underwhelming? A lot of that going around. This is why Gretchen Villegas is the person to talk to. In this interview with GDP, Gretchen shares some powerful advice on how to get...

  34. Scaling Up Development: Why it is mission critical.

    Today, nearly one billion people lack electricity, over three billion lack clean water, and 750 million lack basic literacy skills. Many of these challenges could be solved with existing solutions, and technology enables us to reach the last mile like never before. Yet, few solutions attain the...

  35. The Scarcest Resource in the Middle East is Trust: How Water Management Could be a building block towards peace.

    The war between Israel and Hamas is unfolding into a humanitarian catastrophe. Water is the most precious resource for Gaza, and it is in short supply. Ground water supplies are sparse, and Israel controls inflow into Gaza. To punish Hamas, Israel temporarily turned off the taps which led to...

  36. A burger with a side order of methane: The Staggering Consequences of Animal Industrial Agriculture

    As smelly as they are, flatulent cattle really take their toll on the climate. Major producers of methane, cattle, and other industrialized animals in agriculture, produces detrimental levels of methane which warm the planet faster than carbon. Not only is there no end in sight to seeking...

  37. Why Humanitarian Hurt is Being Used as a Military Tactic in Gaza.

    War is raging in The Gaza Strip. As Israel prepares for a ground invasion, Hamas holds dozens of prisoners, and now with knowledge that U.S. citizens are in the mix, it all spells disaster for Gaza. The Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million people under a heavy blockade on movement and basic resources,...

  38. The Deep Digital Divide & Frugal Innovation

    Almost 1/3 of the 8 billion people on this planet have never used the internet. Landlocked countries, conflict zones and remote islands have the highest rates of people who have never "logged on". This is a problem that goes beyond being a new face of inequality. As Anir Chowdhury says, the...

  39. Striking Today & Voting Tomorrow: How Youth Activists are tackling the climate crisis.

    Howard Zinn said, "People in all countries need the spirit of disobedience", and that "once they organize and protest and create movements—have a voice no government can suppress". High school students like Iman Mannathukkaren are doing exactly that. Concerned about the the world that they are...

  40. 🇰🇵"Kim Jong Gone"? Pursuing human rights and doing research in North Korea. 🇰🇵

    In April 2020 rumour spread like wildfire that Kim Jong Un died. Greg Scarlatoiu and Dr. Bob Huish didn't believe it. They were right. So how did the world get this story so wrong? In this episode of GDP, Dr. Bob chats with Greg Scarlatoiu, the Executive Director of the Committee for Human Rights...

  41. Who is trying to help? The Commitment to Global Development Index.

    The Sustainable Development Goals were at the top of the agenda for the United Nations General Assembly in New York this year. How many donor countries get a failing grade when it comes to meeting the target of contributing 0.7% of their Gross National Income? A lot. But 3 countries in Europe are...

  42. Development Beyond Brexit: Furthering Global Britain in East Africa.

    Did the bedlam of Brexit impact the United Kingdom as a global partner and donor? Is Russia and China pushing the UK out of Africa? Are partner nations in Africa rejecting the "assistance" from former colonial powers? Looking at the changing dynamics in East Africa, Simon Rynn and Michael Jones...

  43. Why The Vegas Buffet, Isn't The Way: Digging into the hunger project.

    It continues to baffle many as how hunger remains in a planet of 8 billion people when there is the ability and potential to feed everyone. In this conversation with Tim Prewitt, CEO of the Hunger Project, we explain why Las Vegas buffets probably won't save humanity from hunger. But local level...

  44. Ponying up for the New Green Industrial Age

    The spring meetings of the IMF and the World Bank are underway. Climate change adaptation is a top concern, and many wonder whether or not emerging economies can be part of the New Green Industrial Age. Technology, resources and political will exist. But do the finances? Will green technology...

  45. What we need to do to avoid the next Global Pandemic.

    Globally, public health is pretty beat up after the pandemic. High and low income countries alike are struggling to get their own health systems back to capacity, let alone think about preparing for the next global pandemic. Yet, if pandemics teach us anything, being prepared for the next one is...

  46. The Foggy Crystal Ball: Global Development by 2050

    It's hard to predict what will happen next week, let alone more than 25 years down the road. Nevertheless a new report has come out from the Centre for Global Development titled: Scenarios for Future Global Growth to 2050. In it, there are many positive calls made. Severe poverty may disappear as...

  47. Men Lead and Women Deliver: Global Health's Glass Ceiling.

    During the COVID-19 pandemic women health care leaders stood out. Jurisdictions with women as elected leaders or top public health policy experts seemed to manage the challenges of the pandemic a bit better, and with a bit more public trust. Well before the pandemic, in parts of rural India...

  48. Could feminism fend off threats to our democracies? You better believe it can.

    Many countries around the world are growing deeply concerned about the health and well being of their democracies. China's foreign interference in elections is is a major concern at the moment for Canada, as it has been to New Zealand. But foreign governments are not necessarily the greatest to…

    more

  49. Leaning into Uncomfortable Spaces: Strategies for dealing with Permacrisis

    "Permacrisis" was declared word of the year by Collins English Dictionary. The idea is that state of crisis lingers on despite society's best efforts to wish it weren't there. War, climate change, economic crisis, and global inequality are with us. How do we begin to understand what we're up...

  50. Ay-Ay-Ay, an episode on AI: How ChatGpt will impact teaching, learning, development work, and even podcasts.

    We promise that this podcast write up is in fact written by a human being. But we can't say the same about this episode of GDP itself. In this episode we let ChatGpt do some of the work by scripting dialogue, and then we ask it to write an essay about climate change and climate justice. With us...

View all 155 episodes →

Type above to search every episode's transcript for a word or phrase. Matches are scoped to this podcast.

Searching…

We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.

No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.

Showing of matches

No topics indexed yet for this podcast.

Loading reviews...

ABOUT THIS SHOW

The Global Development Primer podcast is about all issues in Global Development. Your host is Professor Bob Huish, broadcasting from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.The podcast covers a wide range of issues in International Development and features the work of researchers, practitioners, and policy makers from around the world.This is your podcast to learn more about the latest and most pressing issues in Global Development.

HOSTED BY

Dr. Robert Huish

CATEGORIES

education

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does GDP - The Global Development Primer have?

GDP - The Global Development Primer currently has 155 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is GDP - The Global Development Primer about?

The Global Development Primer podcast is about all issues in Global Development. Your host is Professor Bob Huish, broadcasting from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.The podcast covers a wide range of issues in International Development and features the work of researchers,...

How often does GDP - The Global Development Primer release new episodes?

GDP - The Global Development Primer publishes regularly with 155 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

Where can I listen to GDP - The Global Development Primer?

You can listen to GDP - The Global Development Primer on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts GDP - The Global Development Primer?

GDP - The Global Development Primer is created and hosted by Dr. Robert Huish.
URL copied to clipboard!