North Carolina may not be the first place that comes to mind when we think of international development, but the state — particularly the Research Triangle, or the area covering the cities of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill — actually does have a bustling global development scene. Aside from holding the headquarters of some leading global NGOs such as RTI International, FHI 360, Ipas, and IntraHealth International, North Carolina also plays host to Switchpoint, IntraHealth’s annual conference that focuses on humanitarian innovation and technology and brings together grassroots NGOs and large foundations.
“This conference should not be missed if anyone's interested in global health, particularly in Africa, or in social entrepreneurship,” Caroline Poole, senior program coordinator at Duke University’s Center for International Development told Devex.
North Carolina’s universities have their own fair share of renowned global development degree programs as well. North Carolina State University offers a Master of International Studies program, while the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill just recently launched their Master of Global Studies program. The Duke Center for International Development, on the other hand, offers the Master of International Development Policy program, as well as other international executive education programs. For students interested in global health, the Duke Global Health Institute and the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health offer a range of degree programs and certificates considered among the best in the country, if not the world. Those working in the environmental sector, on the other hand, may be interested in pursuing further education at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment.