Is Foreign Aid Still Relevant?
In this event, we discuss challenges with an expert panel and assess the continued relevance of aid and the prospects for some of the alternatives now being proposed.
Scottish Council on Global Affairs - State of the World
Date: Tuesday 10 March 2026
Time: 18:00 - 19:30
Venue: Kelvin Gallery, in the University of Glasgow’s Gilbert Scott Building, and also available online
Category: Conferences, Public lectures, Academic events, Community events
Foreign aid, a lifeline for millions of people, is in crisis. Budgets are falling rapidly and aid agencies are being dismantled. The Scottish Government is one of the few to have bucked this trend, recently announcing an increase to its aid budget. In a context of increasing financial uncertainty for many low-income countries, and the dire social impacts that brings, attention is turning to a future beyond aid.
Panellists:
Indranil Chakrabarti [Head of Policy and Strategic Outcomes, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office]
Joanna Keating [Head of International Development, Scottish Government]
Adaeze Chidinma Oreh [Commissioner for Health, Rivers State, Nigeria – Online]
Rhulani Ramela [PhD Candidate, University of Glasgow, and former development professional]
Moderator: Matt Barlow [Lecturer in International Political Economy, University of Glasgow]