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Explore the programme here |
| The 2026 WIDER Development Conference brings together leading researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to examine how growth, governance, and global cooperation are being reshaped in an era of geopolitical realignment and economic fragmentation. Co-hosted with the Institute for Studies in Industrial Development (ISID), the event takes place in New Delhi and explores how Global South countries can navigate shifting power structures while advancing inclusive and sustainable development.
The conference addresses themes central to today’s development agenda, including the future of multilateralism, the rise of South–South trade and investment, the just energy transition, industrial policy for structural transformation, and the implications of protectionism and global debt distress for long-term growth. Through keynote lectures, high-level plenaries, and parallel research sessions, participants engage with cutting-edge evidence on how global economic governance must evolve to meet the needs of the Global South. By convening diverse voices from across academia, government, multilateral institutions, and philanthropy, the conference provides a vital platform for shaping policy debates on equitable growth and global cooperation. It forms part of UNU-WIDER’s continuing efforts to generate rigorous research, foster policy dialogue, and support partners in responding to the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing world order. More details on speakers, themes, and sessions will be available soon. The programme features an inaugural session with opening remarks by Nagesh Kumar and Kunal Sen, special remarks from senior UN and Government of India representatives, and an inaugural address by Suman Bery, Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog. The keynote lecture, delivered by Eric Verhoogen (Columbia University), is followed by a distinguished discussion with Ajay Shankar and Zainab Usman. The conference includes three high-level policy plenaries: one on the future of global economic governance in a fragmented world order with Len Ishmael, Andy Sumner, Justin Lin, Caren Grown, and Stephan Klingebiel; one on green industrial transformation in BRICS countries with Arkebe Oqubay, Nagesh Kumar, Imraan Valodia, Jose Puppim Oliveira, Maxensius Sambodo, and Jo Beall; and a final plenary on trust and multilateralism featuring Kaushik Basu, Luis Felipe López-Calva, Nora Lustig, and Patricia Justino. Across three days, the conference also includes twelve parallel sessions on themes such as growth empirics, gender, intergenerational mobility, South–South trade, climate shocks, governance, and inclusive growth, along with a special session on green industrialization, dedicated poster sessions, an India-focused fireside chat, and a networking dinners and receptions. |
Explore the programme here |