The reconstruction of Ukraine is going to be one of the biggest international development projects in history. Many partners - governments, NGOs, and in the private sector - will have a role to play. 

As in the war itself, the US government will have a leading role in these efforts. As the development arm of the US government, USAid will likely be at the helm. In this episode of the Tallinn University Podcast, Patrick J. Wilson - Senior Advisor on Ukraine Recovery and Reconstruction for USAid, joins our host Terry McDonald in a unique episode format. 

As Terry is a Lecturer of International Relations in Tallinn University, this conversation takes place in Terry’s Global Development course lecture. Mr. Wilson joined Terry’s class via Zoom from Washington, taking questions from Terry and then from the students of the class. 

In the conversation, they first discuss the lessons learned since the Marshall Plan and through 70 years of success and failure in global development projects. Then, the topic moves to the reconstruction of Ukraine - the hopes, the challenges, who should bear the cost and how they will pay it, and what a potential US administration change might mean for the effort. 

As this was a ‘live’  episode, the usual studio perfection audio quality is not quite there - nonetheless, the opportunity to have one of the architects of Ukraine’s reconstruction in conversation makes the episode a must-listen.