AidData's new "Navigating Global Development Finance" online course is now open for registration!

Our training employs a hybrid (blended virtual and in-person) model that combines foundational online courses delivered through William & Mary’s Studio for Teaching & Learning Innovation with in-person workshops and policy dialogues. Our courses provide a flexible learning pathway and deep engagement with subject matter experts from around the world. In-person sessions are country- and region-specific for targeted professional development.

Aligned with AidData's commitment to actionable and evidence-based insights, as well as William & Mary’s over 300-year history as a premier university for learning and research, our courses blend academic research with practical methodologies. Tailored to address complex global challenges, the curriculum provides a comprehensive skillset for meaningful engagement with data, including verification, basic programming, analysis, and visualization.

Navigating global development finance

AidData's research on the global reach and impact of Chinese development finance is a go-to resource for the U.S. government, multilateral organizations, foundations, and the world's media. Journalists depend on the AidData team to contextualize and interpret complex datasets and underlying project information. AidData staff have taught data journalism as credit-bearing courses at the graduate and undergraduate level at William & Mary. 

Building on this expertise, in July 2025, AidData staff co-led a week-long, in-person Economics and Data Journalism training course for Pakistani journalists, designed to enhance the quality of data-informed economics reporting by Pakistan’s media. Included in this training was "The Missing Classrooms," an innovative training simulation where participants explore and analyze data, experiencing real-world data-driven investigative work to uncover patterns and trends about a development program.

Register for the online course

Expertise that empowers

AidData researchers have delivered customized learning experiences to policymakers, analysts, program managers, specialists, and development practitioners at a wide variety of public and private sector organizations.

AidData's Director of Partnerships and Communications Alex Wooley leads a William & Mary graduate-level seminar on data journalism in Washington, D.C.
AidData’s Deputy Director Communications and Analytics John Custer delivering a critical data analysis session at CEJ-IBA.
AidData’s Training and Instructional Design Manager Sethu Nguna leads Mandela Washington Fellows from the Young African Leaders Initiative through the Data Command training simulation for data-driven decision-making.
AidData Research Scientist Dr. Seth Goodman leads a workshop on remote sensing and machine learning at the Green Climate Fund.

Testimonials

“I found your approach both engaging and empowering, and it has strengthened my commitment to integrating data-driven decision-making into my work.

The real-world examples you shared, coupled with your enthusiasm, have stayed with me long after the session.”

— 2025 Mandela Washington Fellow

“It has been a highly fruitful workshop, which has prompted me to work more efficiently on my data stories.”

— 2025 Data Journalism Training Participant, Karachi, Pakistan

“It was life-like. I like the evidence-based approach, as it relates to the work I do back home.”

— 2024 Mandela Washington Fellow

“A good feeling for how complicated decision-making becomes! A dynamic experience.”

— 2024 Mandela Washington Fellow

"I loved how engaging the session was, and how I got to step into the shoes of my leaders back home."

— 2024 Mandela Washington Fellow

“I’m thankful for the AidData team for the great training, and I'm very happy I attended."

— 2025 Data Journalism Training Participant, Karachi, Pakistan

““It was nice to be here, and the training was a good source of knowledge. Especially on data."

— 2025 Data Journalism Training Participant, Karachi, Pakistan

Featured Blogs

February 2025

AidData and Rappler data journalism course explores China’s influence on global development

The training equipped practicing journalists with critical tools for analyzing economic and financial data to uncover trends in foreign funding to the Philippines.

Attendees of an AidData and Rappler data journalism bootcamp work during a session. Photo by Sethu Nguna/AidData, used with permission.
May 2025

Learning through play: Exploring identity and economics with "Capital & The Other"

AidData experts piloted an innovative board game to help learners investigate how complex social issues can affect economic opportunities.

Game pieces used in the board game “Capital & The Other,” developed by AidData experts. Photo by Sethu Nguna, used with permission.
January 2023

Hands-on training empowers journalists in Pakistan for data-driven reporting

The AidData-led training responds to the media’s need for better data and evidence to understand how foreign lending and government economic policies are impacting citizens.

Trainers and organizing staff huddle on the final day before student-journalists’ capstone project presentations. Photo by AidData, all rights reserved.

Partners

The Gates Foundation
Asian Development Bank
Agence Française de Développement
African Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes
Center for Excellence in Journalism
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Green Climate Fund
Global Environment Facility
Inter-American Development Bank
International Monetary Fund
Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation
ODI Global
Qatar Fund for Development
Rappler
The World Bank
Mandela Washington Fellowship

Contact

To learn more about AidData's professional development offerings, customized trainings, or to partner up, please reach out to Sethu Nguna at training@aiddata.org.

Partnerships & Communications

Sethu Nguna

Training and Instructional Design Manager