Breakfast Discussion with Harvard Kennedy School’s Professor Asim I. Khwaja

Come join Professor Asim I. Khwaja, Director of the Harvard Center for International Development (CID), and Fatema Z. Sumar, CID Executive Director, for an engaging in-person breakfast fireside chat on “The Future of Global Development and Prosperity: A Discussion with Harvard Center for International Development Leadership”.

This session will focus on how to close the global “potential gap” – the space between where people are and where they could be if given the right tools and opportunities. What if development was not just about reducing poverty but about helping every person thrive? In Asia, for example, economic prosperity has risen, but it has not been felt evenly, and many populations still fail to thrive. As the world grapples with rising inequality, political fragility, and a rapidly changing global economy, the Harvard Center for International Development (CID) is leading a bold rethinking of what development means and how to achieve it.

Both speakers will also share CID’s vision for building a thriving world for all by translating rigorous research into practical solutions that work for communities, governments, and global systems. From collaborating with policymakers to leveraging talent and data, CID is pioneering a new model of development rooted in human potential, not just poverty metrics. CID Global Development Council member Vikas Pershad (HKS MPP 2005) will moderate the discussion.

Event Details: 

• Date: Friday 11 July 2025
• Time: 9.00am till 10.30am
• Venue: Aura Group’s Board Room, 1 Phillip Street, Royal One Phillip, Level 9, Singapore 048692  (3mins walk from Raffles Place MRT station, take exit B)
• Pastries, coffee, tea and water will be provided

We only have 20 slots available on a first-come-first-serve basis and so please sign up only if you are certain to attend. 

About Professor Asim I. Khwaja 

Asim I. Khwaja is the Sumitomo-FASID Professor of International Finance and Development at Harvard Kennedy School. He holds BS degrees in economics and mathematics with computer science from MIT and a PhD in economics from Harvard; he is also affiliated with Yale’s MacMillan Center. 

About Fatema Z. Sumar

Fatema Z. Sumar is an Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. She holds an MPA from Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs and a BA in government from Cornell.

Please make sure that you purchase only those tickets for which you are eligible. Guests must make sure that they are accompanied by a qualified Harvard alumnus.  Please take note that Harvard alumni status is determined by the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA)and only those whose names are set out in the HAA online directory can be verified by the Club.

Ticket price paid by ineligible buyers will not be refunded.

Contact information – [email protected]