Episodes 177
Avg. Duration 53m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.6 (11)
Since Jun 2020
Latest Episode Jun 2026

Publishing Details

Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
59%
Hosting
feeds.simplecast.com

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About This Podcast

Step into conversations that travel across continents and challenge the way you think about progress. From democracy and inequality to climate resilience and healthcare, Dan Banik explores how societies navigate the complex terrain of democracy, poverty, inequality, and sustainability. Through dialogues with scholars, leaders, and innovators, In Pursuit of Development uncovers how ideas travel, why policies succeed or fail, and what it takes to build a more just and resilient world. Expect sharp insights, candid reflections, and a global perspective that connects local struggles to universal aspirations. Listen, reflect, and be inspired to see global development in a new light. 🎧

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Recent Episodes

S6E35 How civil society adapts when aid shrinks | Tikhala Itaye

Jun 03, 2026 48m

As traditional aid budgets shrink and donor priorities shift, civil society organizations across Malawi are being forced to rethink how they work, survive, and serve communities. In this…

S6E34 Is Rwanda a development success? | Pritish Behuria

May 20, 2026 46m

Rwanda is often described as one of Africa’s most remarkable development success stories: a country that rebuilt itself after the 1994 genocide, delivered impressive improvements in health and…

S6E33 African agency at the crossroads | Dan Banik

May 13, 2026 24m

In this solo episode, Dan Banik reflects on a series of recent conversations across Pretoria, Addis Ababa, Blantyre, and Mauritius, where African scholars, policymakers, civil society leaders, NGO…

S6E32 How public institutions become captured | Elizabeth Dávid-Barrett

Apr 29, 2026 43m

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 forms of corruption operate at a much higher level,…

S6E31 Why the UN looks different from the Global South | Alanna O’Malley

Apr 22, 2026 47m

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 Department of History at Erasmus University,…

S6E30 The poverty trap that kills a million people a year | Madhukar Pai

Apr 15, 2026 51m

Why does tuberculosis remain one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases even though it is preventable and curable? In this episode of In Pursuit of Development, Dan Banik speaks with Madhukar…

S6E29 Can aid still fight poverty? | Elina Scheja

Apr 08, 2026 39m

What happens to development cooperation when aid budgets are cut, geopolitical tensions rise, and poverty reduction competes with a growing range of strategic priorities? In this episode of In…

S6E28 Can Asia still deliver the development dream? | Philip Schellekens

Apr 01, 2026 43m

Asia is often described as the great success story of modern development, a region of rapid growth, falling poverty, rising middle classes, and extraordinary transformation. But how accurate is that…

S6E27 Urbanization, inequality and the future of development | Benjamin Bradlow

Mar 25, 2026 46m

Dan Banik speaks with Benjamin H. Bradlow, Assistant Professor of Sociology and International Affairs at Princeton University, about how cities can grow without leaving millions behind. At a moment…

S6E26 Why the middle class will shape global development | Homi Kharas

Mar 18, 2026 45m

Dan Banik speaks with Homi Kharas about one of the most important yet surprisingly underexplored forces in modern development: the rise of the global middle class. Drawing on Kharas’s book The Rise…

S6E25 Artificial intelligence and the future of human decision-making | Francesco Marcelloni

Mar 11, 2026 46m

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how societies function — from healthcare and education to governance, public debate, and the future of work. But as AI systems become more powerful and…

S6E24 Why India–China relations could reshape the global order | Manoj Kewalramani

Mar 04, 2026 37m

India-China relations are entering a new phase of cautious re-engagement after five years of deep tension following the 2020 Galwan clash. Leaders have resumed meetings, direct flights have…

S6E23 Can philosophy save a world obsessed with power? | Thomas Pogge

Feb 25, 2026 37m

In an era of intensifying great-power rivalry, shrinking foreign aid budgets, and declining faith in multilateralism, what role is left for global justice? In this wide-ranging conversation, the Yale…

S6E22 Debt, development finance, and global agency | David McNair

Feb 18, 2026 48m

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 of activism and global development in an age of…

S6E21 Six economists and the making of modern development | David Engerman

Feb 11, 2026 53m

In this episode of In Pursuit of Development, Dan Banik speaks with Yale historian David Engerman about how “development” became one of the most powerful and contested ideas of the modern era.…

S6E20 Making evidence actually usable | Lindsey Moore

Feb 04, 2026 45m

This episode of In Pursuit of Development explores how AI is reshaping the way development organizations learn from evidence, unlocking lessons buried in evaluations and reports, and helping…

S6E19 Vietnam’s remarkable development turnaround | Arve Hansen

Jan 28, 2026 50m

Vietnam is often held up as one of the world’s standout development success stories—rapid growth, dramatic poverty reduction, and a transformation from low-income to middle-income status within a…

S6E18 Energy for growth on the African continent | Todd Moss

Jan 21, 2026 50m

Electricity is often treated as a basic development milestone. But in large parts of the African continent, the deeper challenge is not only connecting people to the grid, but ensuring power is…

S6E17 Looking back, thinking forward | Dan Banik

Dec 23, 2025 10m

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 shaped Season 6 so far. Host Dan Banik brings…

S6E16 Climate, conflict and the development squeeze | Florian Krampe

Dec 17, 2025 43m

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 force that intensifies existing vulnerabilities in…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does In Pursuit of Development have?

In Pursuit of Development has published 177 episodes since June 2020, covering topics in Government, News.

Is In Pursuit of Development still active?

In Pursuit of Development is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 53m.

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