Thanks, everyone, for a great start to the Center! We’ll be on hiatus over the summer, and back in the fall with new intiatives on the future of foreign aid, a small grants program, and more. Small group meetings are continuing, but you need to contact the organizer for the Zoom link. Meanwhile, if you conduct fieldwork this summer, please take photos, as we’ll be redesigning the website soon and would love your contributions.
Wednesday, May 21, 12PM Eastern time
Sustainable Development Virtual Workshop
Jennifer Keahey, “Indigenous Critiques of Sustainable Development”
Discussant: Monica Prasad
contact Sarai Richter [email protected] for Zoom link
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Past Events
May 8th, 2025, 9-10AM (US Eastern Time)
JHU Center on Global Poverty Speaker Series with Nilanjan Raghunath, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Singapore University of Technology and Design
Reprogramming Inequality: Rethinking AI’s Role in the Fight Against Poverty
Artificial Intelligence is increasingly being adopted in efforts to address poverty through innovations such as algorithmic credit scoring, automated social service delivery, and predictive tools for resource allocation. These technologies are often celebrated for their potential to improve efficiency, expand access, and optimize decision-making at scale.
However, to ensure these tools genuinely support the people they are intended to help, it is essential to consider not only what AI can do, but how and for whom it is being implemented. Who defines the problems AI seeks to solve? Whose perspectives are included in the design of these systems? And how do we ensure that technological solutions remain grounded in the realities of the communities they aim to serve?
This talk explores AI not merely as a set of tools, but as part of a broader system shaped by social, institutional, and ethical considerations. Drawing on practical examples, I will examine how AI is reshaping definitions of “need” and influencing the distribution of support and resources. While these technologies hold promise, they also carry risks—particularly when they reduce complex human experiences to data points or overlook the nuances of daily life in underserved communities.
I will also highlight the critical importance of qualitative methods—such as interviews, ethnographic research, and community engagement—in complementing data-driven approaches. These methods help illuminate what is often invisible in datasets: context, meaning, and human experience.
As a solution, I propose a co-design model for AI in social systems—one that brings together technologists, policymakers, and the communities most affected by poverty. By creating inclusive design processes, supporting interdisciplinary research, and embedding accountability mechanisms into AI development, we can build systems that are not only effective, but equitable. The goal is not to reject the use of AI in poverty alleviation, but to advocate for more thoughtful, inclusive, and accountable systems—ones that are informed by the people most affected and grounded in a deep understanding of social realities.
Thursday, May 1, 1PM Eastern time
Sustainable Development Group Virtual Workshop
Enrique Pumar, “Pragmatic vs. Revolutionary Visions of Sustainability”
Discussant: James Linn
April 25, 2025, 1:00-2:30PM (US Eastern Time)
JHU Center on Global Poverty Speaker Series/ASA Sociology of Development section webinar:
The Attack on USAID
Please join us for a discussion of what happened, why, and where we go from here.
- Laura Adams and Anna Calasanti on the experiences of aid agency workers
- Blair Glencorse of the Accountability Lab on consequences around the world
- Laura Heideman on what happens when donor withdrawal is poorly planned
- The US experience in the context of the recent defunding of international development in Europe
- Keith Moore: where do we go from here, and are there lessons we could apply to an improved agency?
February 28th, 2025 at 3:00-4:00 (Eastern)
JHU Center on Global Poverty Speaker Series with Fiona Greenland, Associate Professor of Sociology, Fiona Greenland, University of Virginia
Investigating War Crimes as a Cultural Sociologist
Fiona Greenland will discuss her experience as a war crimes investigator for the Conflict Observatory Ukraine and how this work both informed and was informed by her training as a cultural sociologist. Documenting alleged war crimes for international legal accountability mechanisms, including the ICC, requires specific data collection and analysis skills that will be familiar to sociologists. At the same time, some of our discipline’s core concepts – such as representativeness and context – function differently in this space. Part of the talk will provide practical information for sociologists interested in getting involved in human rights and/or war crimes investigations.
February 14th, 2025 at 3:00-4:00 (Eastern)
JHU Center on Global Poverty speaker series with Miri Eliyahu, PhD, Northwestern University
“Industry Research and Global Development: A Different Perspective on Problem Solving”
Miri Eliyahu earned a Ph.D. in Sociology from Northwestern and has worked as “Industry research and global development: a different perspective on problem solving” at Euromonitor. She will be discussing how work at a global market research firm involved in global development projects for international NGOs, Governments and Universities differs from academic work. From ideation to design, to research and then to implementation, this industry heavy process focuses on the client’s notion of desired outcomes and how to achieve them.
January 24th, 2025 at 3:00-4:00 (Eastern)
“Seminar on Grantwriting”
Enrique Pumar of Santa Clara University will speak about his experiences serving as the Program Director for the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences at the National Science Foundation.