Developing countries

J-WAFS commercialization grants are supporting two MIT research teams developing technologies to make current agricultural practices more sustainable.

J-WAFS grants advance sustainable agriculture

Two new J-WAFS Solutions commercialization grants will support novel technologies that aim to improve the economics and resiliency of farming.

February 14, 2019

For tropical growing regions in Brazil and some countries in Africa, differing soil and rock compositions make for a poor match for the fertilizers that are currently on the market. J-WAFS-funded MIT researchers seek to meet this challenge with a new type of fertilizer, and call for more interdisciplinary research to help close yield gaps.

Local rocks can yield more crops

J-WAFS-funded MIT research team shows a new method of fertilizer production can better suit the needs of farms in Africa and around the globe.

February 12, 2019

Graduate student Julia Sokol is working on making drip irrigation cheaper and more efficient at MIT’s Global Engineering and Research (GEAR) Lab.

Improving crop yields while conserving resources

PhD student Julia Sokol is helping develop drip irrigation technologies that allow farmers to save water and energy.

December 20, 2018

While exploring the campus, participants in a Legatum Leadership Forum have a surprise encounter and photo-op with Megan Smith (center), a member of the MIT Corporation and the former U.S. Chief Technology Office under President Obama.

African entrepreneurs visit MIT for leadership boot camp

The Legatum Center joined Zambezi entrepreneurs with MIT faculty, students, and stakeholders for a leadership forum around African prosperity.

December 11, 2018

Detecting dengue, Zika, and chikangunya within minutes

MIT spinoff is changing the way mosquito-borne illnesses are diagnosed and aims to influence how public health officials react to disease outbreaks.

November 21, 2018

Ricult's platform gives smallholder farmers access to seeds and fertilizers, weather forecasts, and insights on improving crop yield to help lift them and their families out of extreme poverty.

Platform helps farmers out of extreme poverty

Social enterprise Ricult uses digital tools to empower rural farmers in developing countries.

November 14, 2018

A panel discusses Scaling Social Enterprises at the fourth annual Tata Center Symposium.

Translating research into impact

Fourth annual Tata Center Symposium highlights the need to invest in technologies for the developing world from a market-driven perspective.

October 17, 2018

Samer Saab, founder of Wala, accepts the Zambezi Prize competition’s $100,000 grand prize award.

South Africa startup Wala wins Zambezi Prize for micropayments platform

Legatum Center’s award for innovation in financial inclusion plays a key role in MIT’s push to expand African engagement.

September 18, 2018

This wearable water quality test kit (early prototype pictured at left) provides a simple, accessible way to test the presence of E. coli in drinking water. A J-WAFS Solutions grant will enable an MIT research team to develop a regionally-appropriate commercialization strategy to ensure that these test kits can be accessible to rural and urban communities in Nepal as well as the other areas in Sou...

J-WAFS awards grants for commercialization of food and water technologies

Solutions grants will aid commercialization of novel MIT technologies to test water safety and improve agricultural productivity.

September 11, 2018

Prosper Nyovanie, a 2017-19 Legatum Fellow, trains local community members in Boshof, South Africa, to build a utility-scale photovoltaic power plant.

Legatum Fellows build on 10-year legacy of impact

New cohort of student entrepreneurs will advance a growing tradition of driving sustainable, scalable change in the developing world.

August 21, 2018

J-PAL teaching assistants and program participants discuss how to design randomized evaluations in real-world settings.

Learning to evaluate social programs

Flagship J-PAL course teaches policy leaders how, why, and when to evaluate social programs ranging from antiviolence interventions to housing mobility initiatives.

August 16, 2018

The MITx MicroMasters program in Data, Economics, and Development Policy is an online series of courses designed for learners like Alan Al Yussef, who seek to have a direct impact on major social issues through an empirical, data-driven approach.

Turning an economics education into solutions with impact

MITx MicroMasters learner Alan Al Yussef is working to improve lives in the Middle East through a career in development economics.

August 14, 2018

Krithika Ramchander (left), a PhD candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Andrea Karin Beck, a PhD candidate in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, have each received fellowships from MIT’s Abdul Latif Jameel World Water and Food Security Lab (J-WAFS) for 2018-2019. Their research explores solutions to global and local water supply challenges using engineering and q...

Krithika Ramchander and Andrea Beck awarded J-WAFS fellowships for water solutions

Graduate students receive J-WAFS fellowships to support research focused on improving water access for rural as well as urban communities.

August 9, 2018

A new way to measure women’s and girls’ empowerment in impact evaluations

Guide developed by J-PAL aims to improve women’s and girls’ empowerment worldwide and reduce bias and other gender-based inequalities.

July 17, 2018

MIT engineers have developed a simple, low-cost, passive prosthetic foot that they can tailor to an individual.

Low-cost prosthetic foot mimics natural walking

New design can be tuned to an individual’s body weight and size.

June 26, 2018

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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