Launching the Global Economic Transformation Initiative

The Reimagining the Economy Project will be launching our new Global Economic Transformation initiative on May 4, 2026, as a part of the Harvard Center for International Development’s GEM26 Global Empowerment Meeting.

The initiative will take on some of the world's biggest economic challenges: the strain on middle classes worldwide, the fallout from receding hyper-globalization, the green energy transition, and stagnating opportunity for workers across both developed and developing economies. Conventional industrial policies are no longer sufficient; new, context-specific strategies are needed that blend workforce development, small business support, technology deployment, and community reinvestment.

Importantly, while national governments must set vision and provide fiscal resources, the most promising solutions will be driven locally, by subnational governments, social enterprises, and NGOs working in collaboration with business and labor. From youth employment accelerators in South Africa to micro-learning platforms in Kenya, local action is already pointing the way forward, and scaling these approaches, with smarter coordination and more flexible funding, is the path to genuine structural transformation.

Agenda

May 4, 2026

All programming will be held at Harvard Kennedy School.

1:30 PM — Registration and Check-In

2:00 PM — GEM26 Welcome 

2:15 PM — Skipping the Factory: Service-Led Growth and Structural Transformation in the Developing World 

Instead of moving large numbers of workers into factories, many developing economies are jumping straight from farming into services like retail, transport, and personal care. Michael Peters and Fabrizio Zilibotti share their new research about whether a “services-first” path can generate broad-based, lasting improvements in living standards. Who benefits, and who risks being left behind, when growth is driven by services rather than manufacturing? This academic workshop will explore what this means for jobs, inequality, urban–rural divides, and the kinds of policies that might support inclusive growth in a world where many countries may never become manufacturing powerhouses.

3:00 PM — Transforming the Global Economy: Quality Work, Just Transitions, and Shared Prosperity 

As the global economy undergoes rapid structural change, countries face a complex mix of challenges: creating quality jobs, managing deep regional disparities, navigating the energy transition, and responding to the disruptive impacts of technology. This panel brings together leading economists and policy thinkers to unpack how these forces interact, who is most at risk of being left behind, and what policies can steer transformation toward more inclusive and sustainable growth.

4:30 PM — Orchestrating Economic Transformation: From Local Experiments to National Strategy 

Transformative development depends not only on bold ideas, but on institutions that can learn, coordinate, and scale what works. This panel explores how national and regional strategies can be woven together with local experimentation, and how social enterprises and other non-state actors can be empowered to drive context-specific innovation.

6:00 PM — Cocktail Reception