Development Labs: University Knowledge Production and Global Poverty

In 2012, the United States Agency for International Development allocated $137 million to fund seven universities to create development labs to advance social/economic progress and reduce poverty. International economic development has become a booming field and industry but is also highly contested. The function of the university as a development strategy has great potential but can also be subject to criticism. This qualitative study included a visit to all seven universities and generated findings related to a development lab model and mentality, including: the importance of failure, knowledge co-creation, and the role of the academy in constructing culture.