Devex Pro Insider: What's the point of big events? And more Gates drama

Conferences, summits, conventions, assemblies, forums, meetings — however you label them, big events are a mainstay of the global development calendar. But remember when their existence was in doubt? First, the COVID-19 pandemic had us assuming that in-person gatherings would go the way of the dodo. After all, why endure the hassle and cost of traveling when there’s the ease of talking to people virtually? Well, those annoying glitches — which continue to this day — and the often impersonal, awkward nature of online conversations proved that face-to-face interactions still have a place in our tech-driven world. And remember the restructuring of U.S. foreign assistance last year (I know, how can you forget)? That, coupled with waning donor appetite around the world, prompted questions about whether a financially bruised development community could even afford to attend confabs in faraway, often pricy cities. Yet the confabs continued — with record attendance at times. And we’ve been covering them left, right, and center, from the recent World Economic Forum in Davos to last weekend’s Munich Security Conference and African Union Summit. So it got me thinking: Why do these events, which often feature the same speakers preaching to the same choir, remain so popular? Of course, it’s about networking. But it’s also about networking for a purpose — and showing up for a purpose as well. “Forcing development to be on the agenda matters, especially at a place like Davos. It forces people to pay attention,” my colleague Elissa Miolene, who attended the World Economic Forum, tells me. She adds that forums like Davos also build momentum. “People will get something done before X or Y event, and it can push a pressure point to make something actually happen.” There are downsides, of course, including the obscene amounts of money spent to stage such major — and sometimes lavish — productions. “You think about all these people flying into one of the most expensive places on Earth and advocating for the poorest, which is a little hard to stomach,” Elissa says. But overall, “it’s really interesting to see how the development world shows up in full force at these types of events — for better or for worse. There’s the uneasy glitziness of travel and networking, of cocktail parties and cash spent on plane tickets, hotel rooms and, in the case of Davos, on things as ridiculous as ‘working’ ski trips.” (Yep, you heard that right.) “But on the other hand, there’s also the fact that people in the development sector are doing their best to be in the places that matter — getting these incredibly difficult issues noticed, and in some cases, pushing them forward,” she adds. “Would it be better for those in the sector to just sit it out, and let these gatherings be places to solely discuss profit, investment, and new tech? I don’t think so.” Bits and pieces Big no-show. We go from Davos to New Delhi, where we’re also on the ground to bring you the latest from the India AI Impact Summit (stay tuned for a special newsletter on Tuesday for the key development highlights). The guest list featured a parade of tech and political heavy-hitters — from Google CEO Sundar Pichai to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres — but it was another big name who made waves simply by not being there: Bill Gates. The billionaire philanthropist pulled out shortly before his much-anticipated keynote appearance. He’s been embroiled in scandal as his relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein increasingly comes to light. After a week of questions and conflicting messages as to whether he would show up, the Gates Foundation India on Thursday said the billionaire would skip the address ”[a]fter careful consideration, and to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities.” On-the-ground take: Offstage, our contributing reporter Catherine Davison has been chronicling the ups and downs in New Delhi and tells me that chatter about Gates’ withdrawal seemed largely confined to professionals in the global health space. Many expressed pity for their colleagues at the Gates Foundation, who spent the past few days conspicuously avoiding members of the press and being ushered out of panel sessions by a gaggle of communications aides. Meanwhile, for the thousands of young Indians who flocked to the summit, the focus was more on scouting for jobs, the cutting-edge AI demos on display, and frustrations over the event’s poor planning and traffic. When Gates’ canceled keynote did come up, it was mostly in reference to a sense of national pride in his replacement: Ankur Vora, the foundation's chief strategy officer and Africa and India chief, who was born and raised in India. AI awkwardness. The AI Impact Summit was billed by India as a key forum focused not just on artificial intelligence, but on its relationship with the developing world. “We must democratize AI. It must become a tool for inclusion and empowerment, particularly for the global south,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, positioning his country as a major voice on AI governance. While the summit produced billions in pledged investments, it also produced a number of awkward moments. A robotic dog supposedly made by India's Galgotias University was kicked out of the summit after it was revealed that the dog was actually made in China. Oof. Traffic was apparently horrendous. And a picture truly does say a thousand words: In an onstage group photo of AI leaders raising their clasped hands together in unity, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei — often framed as rivals — didn’t get the memo about joining hands, so they ultimately just raised their fists separately. Apparently, there’s no hand-holding in AI. Left behind? Let’s stick to AI because, let’s face it, it’s sticking with us. Anthropic’s Dario Amodei gave a wide-ranging podcast interview with host Dwarkesh Patel called “We are near the end of the exponential” that delved into the granules of the AI revolution. While much of the conversation centered on the U.S. and China, there was a brief but revealing moment for our audience after Amodei spoke about how, in the developed world, when there’s money to be made on something, it’s hard for the regulatory system to stop it. “But I actually think the bigger worry is a developing world where we don't have functioning markets where we often can't build on the technology that we've had,” he said. “I worry more that those folks will get left behind.” Or propelled forward? Speaking of AI podcasts, I’ll add my shameless plug here that starting Feb. 24, we’ll be featuring our own special six-part series called Global Progress in the AI Era, which explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping global development — from how money flows to who holds power. Hosted by Devex Senior Editor Catherine Cheney, the series brings together leaders from across sectors to examine AI’s promise, as well as its risks, and what it will take to ensure the technology accelerates progress rather than deepens inequality. Foundational expansion. Private equity legend Stephen Schwarzman, cofounder and CEO of Blackstone, is aiming to ramp up his philanthropic giving, with plans to grow his foundation into one of the 10 largest private foundations in the U.S., according to The Wall Street Journal. The outlet reported that the Stephen A. Schwarzman Foundation plans to continue focusing on education, culture, medical innovation, and the impact of artificial intelligence. (I can’t seem to stay away from AI today.) Lagarde on guard. Is Christine Lagarde preempting the rise of the far right? That’s what the Financial Times is saying, reporting that the head of the European Central Bank is expected to leave before her eight-year term ends in October 2027 — with a possible departure ahead of France’s presidential election next April, when the far right might take control of the government. ECB said, “President Lagarde is totally focused on her mission and has not taken any decision regarding the end of her term,” but her reported plans have already sparked speculation over successors, including Pablo Hernández de Cos, Klaas Knot, Isabel Schnabel, and Joachim Nagel. As for Lagarde’s next possible job move, it’s long been speculated that she would take over the World Economic Forum from the scandal-plagued Klaus Schwab. But FT notes that’s no longer a “foregone conclusion,” according to people familiar with succession planning at Davos, where names such as BlackRock’s Larry Fink and Roche’s André Hoffmann have apparently been floated. Tempered Breakthrough. Let’s not mince words, Bill Gates is not in a good place right now. Beyond the Epstein accusations severely tarnishing his brand, his climate-focused endeavor Breakthrough Energy has stopped making investments into its Catalyst fund, which aims to scale up green technologies. That, in turn, has led to layoffs, as first reported by Axios. And as Bloomberg points out, the change comes “just as the market for these startups is being squeezed by President Donald Trump’s assaults on climate policy.” Edge over the competition? The State Department recently launched the Edge AI Package, which seeks to award up to $200 million in foreign assistance to projects that improve the competitiveness of next-generation smartphones in the Indo-Pacific region. The announcement doesn’t mention tech rival China, but it doesn’t need to. The thinly veiled press release says that Edge AI would provide a “market-based alternative to high-risk vendors, offsetting the price distortions of untrusted providers while promoting a trusted AI software stack—a critical component of U.S. efforts to ensure that the digital infrastructure of our partners remains secure, autonomous, and free from coercion.” Hungry for dominance. Speaking of American competitiveness, the State Department says it is aiming to strengthen just that in the global agricultural sector with a $40 million pledge to the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, or CIMMYT — a globally regarded agricultural research institution “driving innovations that directly benefit U.S. producers,” according to a press release. “Under the Trump Administration’s America First Foreign Assistance framework, the United States continues to strengthen U.S. food systems and secure our nation’s economic and agricultural dominance,” it notes. “A robust and resilient agriculture sector is essential to domestic prosperity, global market stability, and American competitiveness.” The many faces of an organization. We all look online at staff pages to see who’s who — especially before meetings or networking events. The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation put a cute twist on the tradition by featuring baby photos of staff members that morph into present-day headshots. Check it out here. In memoriam Geoffrey Akuzike Chipungu, a senior lecturer at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences in Malawi, died on Dec. 30, according to the university. An educator, researcher, and mentor, Chipungu was known for his dedication to pathology and laboratory science. He previously served as head of the Department of Pathology and Medical Laboratory Sciences at the former College of Medicine and was a specialist clinical microbiologist with experience spanning public health diagnostics, systems strengthening, HIV/AIDS, and laboratory capacity building. The Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, the University of Oxford, and the Nuffield Department of Medicine are mourning the death of professor Nicholas White, a distinguished figure in malaria research whose work transformed global treatment policy and saved millions of lives. A professor at Oxford and Mahidol University, he helped drive the adoption of artemisinin-based combination therapies and intravenous artesunate, now standard treatments worldwide. Over his career, he authored more than 1,300 papers, advised the World Health Organization, and trained generations of clinicians and scientists, leaving a lasting mark on global health. Moving on The African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative has elected a new board of directors, with executives from VBC Vaccines and Biotechnology City and EVA Pharma in Egypt; the Vaccine Access Initiative in Uganda; Aspen Pharma Group and Biovac in South Africa; VaxSen in Senegal; and Innovative Biotech in Nigeria. AVMI says the board will help guide its strategic direction and strengthen governance as it works to advance Africa’s vaccine manufacturing ecosystem. Elise Buckle is taking on a new role supporting the Conscious Food Systems Alliance UNDP Secretariat as it prepares for the Global Conscious Food Systems Summit in Bhutan from Aug. 31 to Sept. 4. As a Climate Bridges member of the alliance, she and her colleagues will help craft the agenda, with a particular call for youth leaders, women farmers, and women entrepreneurs from the global south to engage in the lead-up. After more than two decades at UNICEF, Jasmina Byrne is retiring from the organization. Over the course of her career, she worked across four continents advancing children’s rights in complex environments. In recent years, her focus centered on children’s rights, foresight, and digital governance, particularly how emerging technologies reshape childhood and what responsible public policy should look like in response. Harold Cohen is set to join the World Food Programme’s legal office in early March as senior counsel. He’ll focus on WFP’s engagement with U.S. government partners and advise on operational and institutional legal issues, saying he’s glad to support the organization at a pivotal moment. Hannah Fields has joined Christian Connections for International Health as a CCIH ambassador, calling it a meaningful volunteer role. She previously worked with the organization — which works to mobilize and empower faith-based organizations to advance global health — before moving to Mayo Clinic in 2023. The Global Heat Health Information Network welcomes Petra Hongell as communications manager for the World Health Organization–World Meteorological Organization Climate and Health Joint Programme. She brings more than 15 years of strategic communications experience across the United Nations, the Finnish government, and the European Union. Christopher Lourenco is moving into a new role as director of global health at Population Services International, where he says on LinkedIn he’ll build on the organization’s malaria work while expanding into pandemic preparedness, climate and health, and economic empowerment. Pablo Von Zehmen has taken on a new role as chief of strategy and business transformation at AstraZeneca Spain, marking what he describes as a natural next step after more than two decades leading growth and organizational change across markets. Over the past five years, as senior director of the cardiovascular, renal and metabolic business unit in Spain, he oversaw a period of commercial growth, major product launches, and a shift toward data-driven models — alongside deeper digital, AI, and analytics integration. As his tour of duty at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention comes to a close, Joseph Wang’endo says he’s grateful to have served the continent during a period of profound crisis. He’s now stepping into a new role as global director of income generation and engagement at Ripple Effect. Monali Zeya-Hazra, an energy transition and climate policy expert, has joined the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation as director of climate for India. She says she’s looking forward to working to advance clean growth, climate action, and sustainable development priorities across the country. Job of the week Your Devex Pro membership includes access to the world’s largest global development job board. Here’s the latest opportunity: chair of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel at the United Nations Environment Programme. Search for more opportunities now.