Feature

International Development Policies in Practice

In the fourth and final installment of the Career Services 2009 "Real World Perspectives" series, three panelists spoke to students about the variety of careers in international development. Harris School mentors Bill Hunt, Tom Derdak, and Rachel Bronson shared their experiences in working in policy and on the ground within Chicago's international development field. The talk was co-sponsored by CIAPP, the student Committee on International Affairs in Public Policy.

"Policy has really been one of the key determining factors in the shift in [world-wide] manufacturing," said Bill Hunt, chairman of the Ethio-American Trade and Investment Council and president of ChamproSports, a sports manufacturing company that has facilities in Ethiopia. Policy explains, he added, "why manufacturing has gone to certain places, why [it hasn't gone] to others."

A veteran of 35 years in the international trade industry, Hunt is constantly looking for the most cost-effective manufacturing site. Issues critical to his company's decisions in evaluating potential sites include the cost of labor, governmental policies (including trade agreements which lower trade barriers), and geopolitical factors (such as political stability and access to transportation). But not every cost-effective location can be a successful one. In some instances, Hunt noted, "People are willing to work for lower wages, but because of policy issues [between that country and] the United States, [opportunities] were never developed."

Tom Derdak also works with Africa; as the founder and executive director of Global Alliance for Africa, he has a different perspective on development. "We feel very strongly about a particular type of approach in regard to economic development. Very successful programs ... are multi-sectoral." His organization engages in projects that span health care, education, microfinance, and business training. "You can't just do one [project] ... and leave all the other issues people are dealing with unaddressed," he said.

The Global Alliance for Africa is a comprehensive program that invests in people and businesses, with a particular emphasis on care for orphans and children with HIV/AIDS. The alliance believes in local hiring and boasts that profits made by the small businesses are reinvested back into their own community. As for their strategy on individual projects, Derdak said, "Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't."

Rachel Bronson represented the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, an organization that bridges the gap between practice and academics. "If it's done right, people in think tanks [and other policy organizations] should play that middle ground. They should be tuned-in enough to comment on the ideas and issues that we need to know more about, and the academics can do the research."

As the vice president of programs and studies at the council, Bronson noted the dramatic shift in foreign policymaking with the United States after 9/11. "Our mandate changed from trying to engage the American population in foreign affairs [before September 11th] to ... try to provide smart analysis." And to Bronson, the role of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs is to deliver the best policy ideas the public.

All three speakers emphasized the importance for policymakers to thoroughly understand the culture, language, and ideas of the countries with which they are working. In addition, they agreed that the areas of trade, microfinance, and international policy-and consequently the demand for savvy and smart individuals-are expected to grow in the future.

By Elizabeth Vivirito