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Poverty: a complex and pressing challenge
Nearly half of the world – about three billion people – lives on less than two dollars a day. The impact of extreme poverty is devastating for those directly affected. But all of us feel its repercussions: economic instability, environmental degradation, migration, political unrest and perhaps, most tragic of all: wasted human life.
Nearly half of the world – about three billion people – lives on less than two dollars a day. The impact of extreme poverty is devastating for those directly affected. But all of us feel its repercussions: economic instability, environmental degradation, migration, political unrest and perhaps, most tragic of all: wasted human life.
What’s needed: new ways of looking at an old problem
Poverty is not new. But eradicating it requires original ways of thinking. Today, a unique opportunity exists for innovative thinkers to translate rapidly evolving scientific and technical advancements into real-world solutions for those in developing countries. If these solutions are grounded in grassroots realities and designed to be sustainable and scalable, they could literally transform life for billions of people. That’s why we’re here.
Introducing the Blum Center for Developing Economies
Part of the Berkeley campus of the University of California, The Blum Center for Developing Economies is a new venture initiated through a $15 million gift from Berkeley alum Richard C. Blum. Our mission is clear: to fight extreme poverty by leveraging the intellectual resources and commitment of faculty and students at the nation’s top public teaching and research university.
The Blum Center’s strategy: real-world solutions for real change
The Blum Center’s approach transforms students into active, informed, skilled global citizens. It applies and adapts cutting-edge technologies and expertise in real-world settings. And it ensures success by anchoring innovation in social, organizational and economic realities.
The Blum Center’s approach transforms students into active, informed, skilled global citizens. It applies and adapts cutting-edge technologies and expertise in real-world settings. And it ensures success by anchoring innovation in social, organizational and economic realities.
Integrated coursework: The Blum Center offers an interdisciplinary undergraduate minor program in Global Poverty and Practice, giving students skill sets and a framework for applying their expertise. Over the next three years, we plan to offer graduate-level programs and several new courses.
Service-learning: Students and faculty serve, share, and learn by working shoulder-to-shoulder with local partners and communities.
Innovation initiatives: Working with local partners, multidisciplinary teams of faculty and students develop, test and evaluate promising breakthrough innovations that address critical causes of poverty.
Scale-up and sustainability: Successful innovation is widely shared. Capacity building and on-going technical exchanges promote scale-up and the successful adoption of innovations by companies, governments and economic development organizations.
“I believe UC Berkeley can have a singular effect in the fight to alleviate human suffering. If you look at the dangerous political divisions in today’s world, you will find that most extremism has its roots in poverty and lack of education. We hope that our center will help train the next generation of leaders to be dedicated to alleviating poverty in the developing world.” Richard C. Blum, Center Founder, UC Berkeley Class of ’58, M.B.A. ’59
(Banner Photo Credits: Child Smiling, American Himalayan Foundation; Boy watching water, Amy Pickering; African Woman in Marketplace, Sean Sprague/Peter Arnold, Inc.)
(Page Photo Credits: Boy watching water, Amy Pickering; Classroom, Wesley Wong; Cal students in Ecuador; Phillip Denny; Richard Blum with children, American Himalayan Foundation)