Lunch ‘n’ Learn with Mohamed Abdel-Kader

The U.S. Agency for International Development works in conjunction with America’s foreign policy to advance international development and disaster assistance. USAID’s partnerships and investments save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people emerge from humanitarian crises and progress beyond assistance. USAID’s research and development wing - the Innovation, Technology, and Research (ITR) Hub, harnesses emerging technologies and research techniques to best uphold USAID’s values - a safe, supportive, and inclusive digital environment. From pioneering standards for AI’s global implementation to expanding digital infrastructure in the Global South to ensuring access to critical services in Ukraine; Mohamed Abdel-Kader and his colleagues at ITR leverage research to apply the best tools to the most pressing international problems. 

The Center for Effective Government, the Data Science Institute, and HarrisTech are excited to invite students for Lunch with Mohamed Abdel-Kader, the Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Director for the Innovation, Technology, and Research (ITR) Hub at USAID. UChicago students will have the opportunity to sit with Mohamed Abdel-Kader for an unstructured lunch to discuss careers in international relations, USAID’s unique approach to international engagement, and the realities of policymaking at the intersection of technology and policy. This is an event of Data & Democracy, a joint initiative from the University of Chicago’s Center for Effective Government and Data Science Institute.