A Post-Covid U.S. Development Strategy for the Indo-Pacific

In this episode of Building the Future, Dan Runde is joined by Gloria Steele, Acting Administrator for USAID, to discuss the future of global development strategies in the Indo-Pacific region.

Dan and Gloria start off by discussing Gloria’s time spent in the Philippines and the specific challenges the country continues to face in its development trajectory. They focus on the future of U.S. development assistance to countries in Asia and the ways in which overall growth can be made more inclusive, specifically highlighting education as an important equalizer. Dan and Gloria go on to discuss the pressing development issues that have been transformed by Covid-19 such as supply chain resiliency, concerns with increased digital connectivity, and stark inequalities in global internet access. Furthermore, they discuss the emerging intersection between the environment and human health as well as the future of aging societies, and how both will impact the future of development in the Indo-Pacific.