The First Tranche

All Blog Posts

AidData publishes a controversial $200m Chinese loan contract for Uganda’s main airport A source of international concern, the loan contract shows China Eximbank does not have any legal grounds to seize Entebbe International Airport—but it has required the Government of Uganda to keep cash collateral in an escrow account that can be seized in the event of default. Brad Parks, Ammar Malik, Alex Wooley
2022-02-27

AidData publishes a controversial $200m Chinese loan contract for Uganda’s main airport

A source of international concern, the loan contract shows China Eximbank does not have any legal grounds to seize Entebbe International Airport—but it has required the Government of Uganda to keep cash collateral in an escrow account that can be seized in the event of default.

A Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft operated by Uganda Airlines arrives at Mogadishu on its maiden flight from Entebbe Airport on August 29, 2019. Photo by AMISOM Public Information via Flickr, in the public domain.
Eyes in the sky: The evolving use of drones in international development efforts AidData’s Geospatial Scientist Kunwar Singh on how drones are helping revolutionize aspects of international development research. Monica Maher, Sarina Patterson
2022-02-02

Eyes in the sky: The evolving use of drones in international development efforts

AidData’s Geospatial Scientist Kunwar Singh on how drones are helping revolutionize aspects of international development research.

Drones in use to monitor rice crops at CIAT's headquarters in Colombia. Photo by CIAT via Flickr, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Explore new updates to AidData’s Chinese public diplomacy dashboard A new video shows how to get subnational data on Beijing’s financial diplomacy, and generate granular country profiles to compare and contrast China’s overtures between and within countries. Sarina Patterson
2021-12-22

Explore new updates to AidData’s Chinese public diplomacy dashboard

A new video shows how to get subnational data on Beijing’s financial diplomacy, and generate granular country profiles to compare and contrast China’s overtures between and within countries.

AidData's China's Public Diplomacy Dashboard, showing subnational financial diplomacy commitments across South and Central Asia.
Call for Papers—Separating fact from fiction: China’s growing global influence and its implications In June 2022, William & Mary will convene a select group of policymakers, scholars, business and civil society leaders from around the globe to better understand China’s growing reach and influence. AidData
2021-12-17

Call for Papers—Separating fact from fiction: China’s growing global influence and its implications

In June 2022, William & Mary will convene a select group of policymakers, scholars, business and civil society leaders from around the globe to better understand China’s growing reach and influence.

New report on Beijing's efforts to cultivate influence amidst rival powers in South and Central Asia AidData today released an extensive new study on China's public diplomacy efforts to win over foreign leaders and publics along the Silk Road, in what Beijing considers its “greater periphery.” Sarina Patterson
2021-12-13

New report on Beijing's efforts to cultivate influence amidst rival powers in South and Central Asia

AidData today released an extensive new study on China's public diplomacy efforts to win over foreign leaders and publics along the Silk Road, in what Beijing considers its “greater periphery.”

In November 2020, the leaders of Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states (including China, India, Pakistan, and Russia) held a meeting via video conference. Photo from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, under fair use.
The largest update yet to GeoQuery, AidData’s free spatial data platform New data on Chinese development finance, and data at monthly intervals for frequently-used datasets. Sasan Faraj, Seth Goodman
2021-11-15

The largest update yet to GeoQuery, AidData’s free spatial data platform

New data on Chinese development finance, and data at monthly intervals for frequently-used datasets.

Building the evidence base: AidData’s deep-dive analysis of Zambian school-related gender-based violence Using an exogenous proxy to study the complex relationship between access to schools and gender-based violence. Together for Girls
2021-10-15

Building the evidence base: AidData’s deep-dive analysis of Zambian school-related gender-based violence

Using an exogenous proxy to study the complex relationship between access to schools and gender-based violence.

AidData’s new dataset of 13,427 Chinese development projects worth $843 billion reveals major increase in ‘hidden debt’ and Belt and Road Initiative implementation problems The analysis, based on a massive new dataset four years in the making, includes a special focus on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Alex Wooley
2021-09-29

AidData’s new dataset of 13,427 Chinese development projects worth $843 billion reveals major increase in ‘hidden debt’ and Belt and Road Initiative implementation problems

The analysis, based on a massive new dataset four years in the making, includes a special focus on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Factor workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, part of a Chinese-funded light manufacturing special economic zone. Photo by Davide Monteleone, all rights reserved; used by AidData with permission.
TUFF Cookies: Students aim for policy impact through hard-hitting research, part two From loans repaid with the proceeds from cocoa bean sales to payments encouraging North Korea to participate in nuclear negotiations, AidData’s Tracking Underreported Financial Flows (TUFF) team tracks it all. Kyra Solomon, Brad Parks, Sarina Patterson
2021-09-27

TUFF Cookies: Students aim for policy impact through hard-hitting research, part two

From loans repaid with the proceeds from cocoa bean sales to payments encouraging North Korea to participate in nuclear negotiations, AidData’s Tracking Underreported Financial Flows (TUFF) team tracks it all.

TUFF team staff and student research assistants stand on the porch of the Global Research Institute in their TUFF Cookie team shirts. Back row: Andy Shufer, Sailor Miao, and Dr. Ammar Malik (Senior Research Scientist and head of AidData’s China Development Finance Program). Middle row: Kyra Solomon (Junior Program Manager) and Thai-Binh Elston (Junior Program Manager). Bottom row: Rory Fedorochko and Sam Rofman. Photo by Carla Talbert/GRI, all rights reserved.
TUFF Cookies: Students aim for policy impact through hard-hitting research, part one From loans repaid with the proceeds from cocoa bean sales to payments encouraging North Korea to participate in nuclear negotiations, AidData’s Tracking Underreported Financial Flows (TUFF) team tracks it all. Kyra Solomon, Brad Parks, Sarina Patterson
2021-09-26

TUFF Cookies: Students aim for policy impact through hard-hitting research, part one

From loans repaid with the proceeds from cocoa bean sales to payments encouraging North Korea to participate in nuclear negotiations, AidData’s Tracking Underreported Financial Flows (TUFF) team tracks it all.

TUFF team staff and student research assistants stand in front of the Global Research Institute. From left to right are: Jack Mackey, Tasneem Tamanna Binte Amin, Paige Jacobson, Thai-Binh Elston (Junior Program Manager), Joyce Lin (Program Manager), Kyra Solomon (Junior Program Manager), Katherine Walsh (Program Manager), Mary Trotto, and Sheng Zhang (Junior Program Manager). Photo by Carla Talbert/GRI, all rights reserved.
Statistics development in Somalia: Challenges and opportunities in a complex environment As Somalia endeavors to recover, reconstruct, and redevelop after decades of conflict and civil war, it faces an unprecedented need for better data and statistics. Sharmarke Farah
2021-09-20

Statistics development in Somalia: Challenges and opportunities in a complex environment

As Somalia endeavors to recover, reconstruct, and redevelop after decades of conflict and civil war, it faces an unprecedented need for better data and statistics.

Sharmarke Farah, Director-General of the Somalia National Bureau of Statistics, speaks in Mogadishu at the launch of the 2019 Labour Force Survey in Somalia. Photo by Somali National Bureau of Statistics, used with permission.
Dashboard additions allow for deep dive into China’s influence toolkit in South and Central Asia Newly available subnational data allows users to explore Beijing’s financial diplomacy at the province and district level, while detailed country profiles provide a bird’s-eye view. Sarina Patterson, Austin Baehr
2021-09-09

Dashboard additions allow for deep dive into China’s influence toolkit in South and Central Asia

Newly available subnational data allows users to explore Beijing’s financial diplomacy at the province and district level, while detailed country profiles provide a bird’s-eye view.