Cambridge Forum for Business and Policy
About this Event
Biased research, risky business – a Forum following up on the United Nations Finance for Development Conference (UN Fin for Dev) in Seville, to address bias in policy and investment towards less-rich countries and sectors at the lower echelons of the wealth pyramid.
What we understand as multilateralism done right: country ownership of narratives, data and analysis originated at the source, de-risking of investment opportunities understood as a system incentivising investment in sectors and countries rightly or wrong considered risky in the past, inviting new voices to the decision-making table and encouraging South-South partnerships.
Our work supports the path forward to balance the loss of Official Development Assistance (ODA) by identifying new mechanisms for the development of less-rich and poor places. When the UN established the Future of Development Cooperation Coalition (FDCC) at its UN Fin for Dev in Seville last year, it was expected to lead to a defence of ODA. However, its first interim report, published on May 20th, 2026, expressed the opposite. “Too much energy has been directed toward one asset in particular: development assistance”, the FDCC concluded and called for ODA to be replaced by investment, trade, and domestic resource mobilisation.
The questions we seek to answer:
How do we assess correctly our international business decisions if biased data leads to flawed research? Can countries in low- and middle-income countries truly put forth growth policies that combine local human development with the interest of investors? How do we sustain a dialogue between local governments, international financial institutions and global investors to provide constant data and information resources to reduce the harms caused by incomplete data? How can we scale innovation in the field of policy making? Where are the much-needed policy entrepreneurs?
The conference will take place on July 3rd, 2026
From 9:00 to 17:00
Coffee breaks and lunch included
Westminster College, Cambridge, United Kingdom
This is an in-person-only event. Some of the recordings will be made available on our LinkedIn and YouTube pages.
Agenda
🕑: 09:15 AM - 09:30 AM
Opening remarks
🕑: 09:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Keynote Policymaker - Managing a global crisis & multilateral cooperation
Host: Mónica García Gómez
Info: Multilateral cooperation and narrative ownership in managing a global crisis – the Hantavirus emergency management analysis.
In conversation with Professor Alan Jagolinzer, Professor of Financial Accounting at University of Cambridge and Founder of the Cambridge Disinformation Summit
🕑: 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Business Keynote Address - Mo Ibrahim
Host: Mo Ibrahim
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Coffee break
🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Panel - De-risking understood as a system incentivising investment
🕑: 12:30 AM - 01:30 PM
Lunch break (lunch provided in the venue)
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:30 PM
Fighting the African bias practiced by the main credit rating agencies
Host: Dr Misheck Mutize
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Allyship from the Global North
Host: Luise Dietrich
🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Country ownership in health policy for sustainable innovation outcomes
Host: Nelima Otipa
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 0.00 to GBP 195.72
