The First Tranche

AidData launches new research initiative on gender equity in development The initiative seeks to address the hurdles inherent in gender-based research, applying geospatial data and rigorous impact evaluations of development programs to produce policy-relevant findings. Monica Maher, Sarina Patterson

As Mali weathers climate change, can irrigation projects help farmers adapt? A new geospatial impact evaluation by AidData examines the complicated impacts of irrigation interventions in the context of Mali’s ongoing armed conflict. Alex Wooley

W&M hosts inaugural conference on China’s global influence During the June 22-24 conference at the W&M School of Education, participants worked to separate fact from fiction while analyzing China’s growing global influence through plenary sessions, working groups, keynote addresses and poster presentations. Martha Reilly/Global Research Institute

Separating fact from fiction: China's growing global influence and its implications ‍William & Mary’s inaugural 2022 China Convening gathers a diverse group of global leaders to stimulate evidence-informed dialogue on China. Samantha Custer and Sarina Patterson

How China’s lending activities affect the political survival of leaders A new AidData Working Paper explores how the co-occurrence of Chinese loans and IMF programs affects leader tenure, finding that Beijing’s loans prolong the tenure of leaders—especially if they are corrupt.  Andreas Kern, Bernhard Reinsberg, and Patrick E. Shea

Competing visions for the Indian Ocean: China’s influence in South and Central Asia China has positioned itself as an indispensable partner for the Maldives and Sri Lanka, adapting economic tools to advance multiple objectives. What are the implications? Samantha Custer

Banking on Beijing: The Aims and Impacts of China's Overseas Development Program A new 400-page book from five leading scholars chronicles China’s transformation—in the space of a generation—from a net recipient to a dominant provider of international development finance. Alex Wooley

How we constructed the world’s largest dataset on China’s overseas spending A behind-the-scenes look at AidData’s latest methodology to track underreported financial flows from China to the developing world. Kyra Solomon, Bradley C. Parks

Testing transparency’s benefits: When does it truly improve how institutions perform? New research in the American Journal of Political Science tests how aid transparency initiatives impact project performance, using a novel dataset of 20,000+ project ratings. Sarina Patterson

Global insights with national implications: AidData’s policy engagements on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor A new AidData policy brief explores the growing debt sustainability challenges of CPEC, a portfolio of Chinese-funded infrastructure projects in Pakistan worth $62 billion. Alex Wooley

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

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