Higher ed and social enterprise are critical to address the USAID vacuum
The architectural landscape of United States foreign assistance has undergone a foundational and perhaps irreversible transformation between early 2025 and the start of 2026.
With the official closure of USAID on July 1, 2025, an over 60-year consensus on the role of soft power and development was disrupted. As the nation pivots toward a “trade, not aid” doctrine, the responsibility for maintaining American global influence will require a powerful nexus of higher education institutions and social enterprises to play a crucial role.
While the rhetoric of “trade, not aid” sounds pragmatically American, the reality on the ground tells a different story: an estimate of over 750,000 resulting deaths, $12.7 billion frozen in global health funding, and shuttered university research labs. Each of these facts reveals a dangerous gap in our national security framework.
About the authors
Latanya Mapp
Latanya Mapp is a globally recognized strategist, former diplomat, and visionary executive with over three decades of leadership across the United Nations, U.S. Foreign Service, philanthropy, and global NGOs. As former president and CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and the Global Fund for Women, Mapp scaled organizations to global impact, overseeing hundreds of millions in philanthropic investment and advocacy. She is currently serving as a fellow in the Leadership and Society Initiative at the University of Chicago.
Gil Latz
Gil Latz has served as professor and administrative leader in the United States and Japan for 40 years. At the Ohio State University, he held positions as vice provost, professor, and affiliated East Asian Studies Center faculty, retiring in 2024. Latz is the 2026 recipient of the Charles Klasek Award for “long-term and outstanding service to the field of International Education” from the Association of International Education Administrators. He is currently serving as a fellow in the Leadership and Society Initiative at the University of Chicago.
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