The Center for International Development cultivates and supports interest in international development at all academic levels. We offer seminar series, research opportunities, travel grants, and special events throughout the year for students across the University.
On most Fridays during the semester, CID hosts the Friday Speaker Series Seminars, where academics and practitioners from various disciplines and organizations in international development speak on current development issues, their organization’s recent work, and/or their own work experience. The talk is followed by a Q&A session with the audience predominantly composed Harvard students, although all are welcome. Our students play an active role in selecting and inviting seminar speakers.
The Speaker Series is an in-person event that also offers the opportunity to engage virtually. Lunch will be served. To register and view the speaker line-up, click here. To receive seminar schedule updates, subscribe to CID's Weekly Events Email.
Following the Speaker Series event, the guest speaker will meet with interested students in 1:1 'career chats' which is a space for students to ask questions and discuss their career goals with the international development practitioner. Sign-ups for these meetings will be available through CID's weekly events & student engagement newsletter, sent on Monday mornings. There will be limited slots for each speaker. Career Chats are open to Harvard students only.
CID’s Student Ambassador Program offers students who are passionate about international development an opportunity to get involved at CID through our research projects, expert conferences, and outreach efforts as we seek to spread research ideas into the world of practice. Ambassadors volunteer their time with the Center by helping to plan the CID Speaker Series each semester, selecting and interacting with high-level visitors, writing blogs and briefs for our website, interviewing development experts through CID’s many podcast series, and other activities based on the student ambassador’s skills and interest.
To apply, email cid@harvard.edu with the subject line “Ambassador - Your Name” stating why you would like to be a CID Ambassador and outlining specific skills you have that will contribute to this role. Please include your CV.
Note that this is an unpaid volunteer position.
We are no longer accepting students for the AY2022-23.
What is it? The Harvard Center for International Development (CID) Student Research Scholar program matches undergraduate and graduate Harvard students with research projects led by CID’s 120+ faculty and PhD student affiliates. It is an excellent opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience working on a research project in international development and make connections with faculty across the University. The program is designed to allow students to apply their existing skillset to a real-world project but will not provide training in the required skills.
How does it work? After filling out the student application, your name, skills, and interests will be added to the CID student research scholar database. As soon as a faculty or PhD affiliate submits a request for research assistance, CID will reach out to existing students in our database who are interested in the topic area/region and who possess the required skills. If you are both interested and available to participate, you will be matched to the research project.
Applications for the Spring 2023 Semester are now open! Apply here.
- The Harvard International Development Internship Fund (HIDIF) awards modest grants on a competitive basis to first-year HKS MPA/ID students who undertake summer internships on development projects in developing countries (other than their home country). Internships must be full-time for at least eight weeks at one organization in order to be eligible for the HIDIF.
- CID Global Internship Program provides funded international development internship and training opportunities for Harvard students. The aim of the program is to build students’ capacity to use economic evidence and to provide students with a toolkit to make meaningful contributions to development projects. Applications are now open.
- Growth Lab Summer Internship offers internships embedded in Growth Lab's applied research projects. Our teams work on a unique blend of research and real-world policy engagements that provide an opportunity to test theories and witness the impact when research is applied to complex economic development problems. Applications are due February 3rd.
The two-year Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) program at the Harvard Kennedy School is designed to prepare the next generation of leaders in international development. It is an economics-centered, multi-disciplinary program, combining rigorous training in analytical and quantitative methods with an emphasis on policy and practice. [More]
CID awards modest travel stipends on a competitive basis to HKS Masters students who travel over J-Term for policy analysis research related to enterprise solutions in international development. The travel stipends can be used to cover related expenses, including but not limited to: transportation, lodging, food, and travel documents.
Criteria and Eligibility
- Funding is open to HKS Masters students
- Travel must be related to analysis research related to enterprise solutions in international development
- Stipends will be awarded up to $3,000 each
Application Deadline
- Applications are currently closed.
Additional Requirements
Funding recipients will be expected to:
- Submit to CID at least 1 blog entry highlighting the experience
- Submit to CID 5-8 high-quality photos documenting fieldwork
- Be available to speak to other students about their experience