About International growth centre
International Growth Centre: Promoting Sustainable Growth in Developing Countries
The International Growth Centre (IGC) is a research center that aims to promote sustainable growth in developing countries by providing demand-led policy advice based on frontier research. The IGC was established in 2008 as a partnership between the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the University of Oxford, with funding from the UK Department for International Development (DFID).
The IGC's mission is to support economic growth and reduce poverty in developing countries by generating high-quality research, promoting evidence-based policymaking, and building capacity among policymakers and researchers. The center focuses on six key areas: state effectiveness, firm capabilities, urbanisation, energy transitions, agriculture and rural development, and gender.
State Effectiveness
The IGC's state effectiveness program aims to improve public service delivery by strengthening institutions that are responsible for delivering essential services such as health care, education, water supply or sanitation. The program also seeks to enhance accountability mechanisms that ensure public officials are held accountable for their actions.
Firm Capabilities
The firm capabilities program focuses on improving productivity among firms operating in developing countries. This involves identifying constraints that limit firms' ability to grow or innovate such as access to finance or skilled labor. The program also explores ways of improving business environments through regulatory reforms or infrastructure investments.
Urbanisation
As more people move into cities across the world than ever before – particularly in Africa – there is an urgent need for policymakers to manage urbanization effectively. The IGC's urbanization program seeks to provide evidence-based policy advice on how best governments can manage this process while ensuring equitable access to basic services like housing or transport.
Energy Transitions
With climate change becoming an increasingly pressing issue globally – particularly given its disproportionate impact on poorer nations – it is vital that we transition towards cleaner forms of energy production. The IGC's energy transitions program aims at providing policymakers with evidence-based policy advice on how best they can transition towards low-carbon economies while ensuring affordable access to electricity.
Agriculture & Rural Development
Agriculture remains a critical sector for many developing countries where it provides livelihoods for millions of people living in rural areas. However, agricultural productivity remains low due largely due lack of investment into infrastructure like irrigation systems or storage facilities which would help farmers increase yields while reducing post-harvest losses.The IGC’s agriculture & rural development programme seeks out ways through which governments can invest more effectively into these sectors so as boost food security whilst creating jobs opportunities within these regions.
Gender
Finally,the gender programme at the International Growth Centre works towards promoting gender equality within all aspects of society including economic empowerment ,political participation ,and social inclusion .This includes working with governments ,civil society organizations,and other stakeholders so as create policies aimed at addressing issues such as unequal pay,glass ceilings,and violence against women .
Conclusion
In conclusion,the International Growth Centre has been instrumental over the years when it comes down promoting sustainable growth within developing nations .Through its various programmes,it has been able provide valuable insights into some key challenges facing these nations whilst offering practical solutions aimed at addressing them .By continuing its work alongside partners across academia,government,civil society,and private sector,it will continue playing a crucial role when it comes down shaping policies aimed at driving inclusive economic growth around the world .
theigc.org
