USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah to Speak on Open Source Global Development

USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah will give a talk titled "An Open Source Approach to Global Development" at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, in Sibley Auditorium in the Bechtel Engineering Center on the north side of campus.

The event is hosted by the Blum Center for Developing Economies, named after Haas Board chairman and alumnus Richard Blum, BS 58, MBA 59. Refreshments will be served.

Shah's keynote address will focus on his ambitious efforts to transform USAID through new partnerships, an emphasis on innovation, and a relentless focus on results.

Shah leads the efforts of more than 8,000 professionals in 80 missions around the world who are seeking to help people overseas struggling to make a better life, recovering from a disaster, or striving to live in a free and democratic country. 

Since being sworn in on Dec. 31, 2009, Shah managed the U.S. government's response to the devastating 2010 earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti; co-chaired the State Department's first review of American diplomacy and development operations; and now spearheads President Barack Obama's landmark Feed the Future food security initiative. He is also leading USAID Forward, an extensive set of reforms to USAID's business model focusing on key areas including science and technology and monitoring and evaluation.

Prior to joining the Obama administration, Shah served for seven years with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as director of agricultural development in the Global Development Program and as director of strategic opportunities.

For more information, visit events.berkeley.edu/?event_ID=59628.