UofG Centre for Public Policy

5 June 2026: In this episode of the UofG Spotlight podcast, we turn from devolved politics to global challenges, asking the important question: do we still value development aid? With leading researchers from the University of Glasgow and Queen Margaret University, and the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund.

In this episode of Spotlight, we turn from devolved politics to global challenges, asking the important question: do we still value development aid?

Host Professor Nicola McEwen is joined by leading researchers from the University of Glasgow and Queen Margaret University to unpack the changing landscape of international development: Ben Hunter, Matt Barlow and Maria Paola Bertone.

Together, they explore the long-term decline in UK and global aid commitments, the real-world consequences for communities in some of the world’s most vulnerable settings and the new approaches to development finance emerging. This work is being supported by the Scottish Council for Global Affairs.

Later in the episode, Nicola speaks with Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund’s (SCIAF) Director of Public Engagement, Ben Wilson, about Scotland’s distinctive role, the Scottish Government’s commitments, and whether initiatives like aid match funding could create a different path forward.

As global pressures mount and political priorities shift, what does the future hold for development aid - and for the communities who depend on it?

Listen

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First published: 5 June 2026