DPU hosts The Bartlett alumni roundtable on changing international development landscape

Overview

The international development landscape is undergoing dramatic change and 2025 has marked an important turning point.

Earlier this year, the United States announced the closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the world's largest bilateral aid agency, and withdrew its support for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Simultaneously, the UK, France, the Netherlands and other major donors declared 20–40% cuts to their overseas development assistance (ODA).

These developments have sent shockwaves through the wider global development ecosystem, with direct implications for UCL's research partnerships, alumni careers and future funding.

Reflections from The Bartlett

In this context, on 23 June 2025, the Development Planning Unit (DPU) hosted a hybrid roundtable event with alumni from both the DPU and the Institute for Global Prosperity (IGP). Participants included professionals from bilateral and multilateral agencies, UN bodies, NGOs and local governments, alongside academic staff.

Held under Chatham House Rules, the session enabled open and honest discussion on how organisations and individuals are adapting to funding cuts and rising global needs. Attendees also explored what these shifts mean for students aspiring to enter the sector.

The event marks the launch of a wider initiative on the changing landscape of international development, supported by Barbara Lipietz, Bartlett Vice-Dean International.

The report

The roundtable’s key insights are captured in a new report, featuring anonymised reflections across three core themes:

• Session 1: What has happened, and where is it going?
• Session 2: Navigating change
• Session 3: The role of the university in focus

The report offers a candid look at how international development professionals are responding to global funding shifts, rising needs and the evolving role of academia.

Acknowledgements

The roundtable discussion was organised by Alexandra Panman, Daniel Oviedo and Barbara Lipietz, with logistical support from Mingyuan Li and funding from The Bartlett Faculty.

We would like to extend our profound thanks to our colleagues and alumni partners for sharing their time and valuable insights to the conversation.

NB: This news story summary does not reflect the opinion of any single individual participant.