Duke Center for International Development (DCID)

05/13/2026

05/04/2026

Spotlight: Aye Nyein Thu MIDP'26

“Education is freedom.”

For Aye Nyein Thu, that belief comes from lived experience. Growing up and working in Myanmar, she saw how development is shaped by conflict, politics, and deeply human realities on the ground.

She returned to the classroom in the Duke Master of International Development Policy program to deepen that understanding, connecting years of hands-on development work with the global systems that shape policy and impact.

Now, she’s preparing to carry that knowledge forward, with a focus on more inclusive, context-sensitive approaches to development.

Read her story: https://duke.is/thu-sanford26

04/30/2026

Master's projects written, presented and submitted ✔️

From AI policy and digital infrastructure to wealth inequality, carbon pricing, artivism ecosystems, and energy sector reform, this year’s projects reflect the diverse interests and experiences of the Duke Master of International Development Policy Class of 2026. Congrats to our MIDP fellows on reaching this milestone!

04/29/2026

As a graduate research assistant, Shiyue Zhou analyzes climate-related financial flows to assess whether climate projects in Southeast Asia are meaningfully supporting mitigation or adaptation goals. Her work supports Duke's Climate Dialogue & Innovation Initiative: Southeast Asia and the World, led by Professor Jonathan Stromseth.

"Growing up in Asia, I became interested in how economic growth and climate challenges affect each other and what that means for financial systems,” says Shiyue, a Master in Interdisciplinary Data Science student.

Learn more about Shiyue's research assistantship experience:
https://dcid.sanford.duke.edu/blog-post/student-spotlight-shiyue-zhou-mids26/

04/24/2026

03/31/2026

Are well-trained business managers less corrupt?

Edmund Malesky (Duke Center for International Development director), Tuan-Ngoc Phan (Duke PhD alumnus), Yi (Daniel) Xu (Duke Economics) and Rob Fetter (DCID senior fellow) argue that better managers are less likely to cut regulatory corners and therefore less reliant on bribes to avoid fines by regulatory inspectors.

In the journal article, "Do better managers bribe less? Cross-national and experimental evidence," the authors present two theories of change that illustrate how better management practices can reduce incentives to pay bribes during regulatory inspections. Their analysis includes findings from two interconnected studies: a cross-national business survey and a field experiment that provided management training courses to randomly assigned firms in Vietnam.

Read the Business and Politics (Cambridge University Press & Assessment) article: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/business-and-politics/article/do-better-managers-bribe-less-crossnational-and-experimental-evidence/DD4C2BB5C2C9F3654C315C0A07737D89

03/27/2026

Wonderful article about Branka Panic MIDP'19 and the work she's doing with AI for Peace ⤵️

During her Rotary Peace Fellowship, Branka Panic worked as a short-term consultant at the World Bank, joining a team that was building a model to predict the probability of famine.

03/26/2026

Congratulations to Edmund Malesky, director of the Duke Center for International Development and professor of political economy, on being named the Oscar L. Tang Family Distinguished Professor of Political Science! He is one of 38 faculty awarded distinguished professorships, effective July 1, and will be recognized in a ceremony on May 18.

Distinguished professorships honor faculty who are well-established members of the Duke academic community and have also achieved distinction as creative scholars in their field or in their ability to transcend disciplines.

03/26/2026

We're fortunate to welcome Dr. William Ascher, the co-founder of the Duke Center for International Development and Master of International Development Policy (MIDP) program, back to campus for the week!

He delivered talks on the gains of poverty alleviation programs in Asia and Latin America and the internal migration dilemmas governments are facing in Africa, Asia and Latin America. He's also meeting with students about his research project on poverty perceptions using Q methodology.