Gates Forum 2: Foreign Aid and the Exercise of Power
How can the United States reimagine its development assistance to best advance its national interests, deliver effective results, and respond to local demand?
In December 2023, the Gates Forum, which was hosted by the Gates Global Policy Center in partnership with William & Mary’s Global Research Institute (GRI), brought to Williamsburg prominent policymakers and officials, alongside experts from government, higher education, journalism, and the private sector.
Under the leadership of Chancellor Robert M. Gates, the forum engaged participants with a singular focus: How can the United States reimagine its development assistance to best advance its national interests, deliver effective results, and respond to local demand?
To inform their policy recommendations, the conferees drew upon an original research volume, "The Imperative to Reinvigorate U.S. Development Assistance Capabilities to Better Advance America’s National Interests," to understand historical, comparative, and forward-looking perspectives on the future of development assistance. The papers were produced by AidData, a research lab at the Global Research Institute and the research partner for the first Forum, and external experts under the leadership of Samantha Custer, AidData’s Director of Policy Analysis.
