The Suspension of U.S. Foreign Aid and the Future of International Development

The suspension of U.S. foreign aid marks a significant shift in global development policy, creating major challenges for recipient countries. The Penn Development Research Initiative – DevLab@Penn (PDRI-DevLab) and Penn Global at the University of Pennsylvania invite you to the first of two webinars exploring the impact of this rollback on people and institutions both in the U.S. and abroad. The first webinar, taking place on Wednesday, March 5, from 12:00 to 1:30 PM, will feature researchers and policy experts discussing three key areas where U.S. foreign assistance has played a vital role: health, environment, and governance. Panelists will examine the gaps left by the suspension, its implications for recipient countries, and the lessons learned from research on foreign aid—along with what remains unknown due to its withdrawal. Our goal is to deepen public understanding of what foreign aid truly entails and to highlight the real-world stakes of its suspension from the perspectives of those directly engaged in the work. The second webinar, on Wednesday, March 19, will shift the focus to recipient governments and in-country partners, offering insights from those experiencing the consequences firsthand. This webinar is open to both the Penn community and the public.