Madeleine McLean

Program Manager and Research Associate, Sustainable Development and Resilience Initiative and Project on Prosperity and Development
Madeleine McLean

Madeleine McLean is a program manager and research associate with the Sustainable Development and Resilience Initiative and the Project on Prosperity and Development at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). In this role, she supports the programs’ research agenda, business development, and event planning. Her expertise focuses on international development and climate resilience, with an emphasis on innovative technologies. Her previous work includes researching the intersection between AI and global development; sustainable infrastructure; and Ukraine’s economic recovery. Prior to joining CSIS, Madeleine had professional experience with the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs under President Biden, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the Idaho Office for Refugees, among others. She graduated magna cum laude from the St. Andrews–William and Mary Joint Degree Programme, where she completed a BA in international relations. In 2016, Madeleine served as a Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Abroad Fellow, working to strengthen U.S. relations with Senegal.

Programs & Projects

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Disaster Risk Financing in Real Time: Ghana Case Study

Recognizing the growing impacts of climate change and the increased importance of preparation for extreme weather events, the government of Ghana has undertaken several steps in recent years to enhance resilience by securing prearranged financing for disasters.

Report by Noam Unger and Madeleine McLean — January 12, 2026

An Open Door: AI Innovation in the Global South amid Geostrategic Competition

Open-source AI models are transforming the adaptability and efficiency of technological innovation, promoting transparency and democracy, and empowering the Global South to address international development challenges in partnership with the United States.

Report by Noam Unger and Madeleine McLean — August 13, 2025

Audio Briefs

Experts React: Unpacking the Trump Administration’s Plan to Win the AI Race

An audio version of “⁠Experts React: Unpacking the Trump Administration’s Plan to Win the AI Race⁠,” a new Commentary by CSIS’s Navin Girishankar, Kirti Gupta, Matt Pearl, Philip Luck, James Andrew Lewis, Leslie Abrahams, Sujai Shivakumar, Erin L. Murphy, Noam Unger, and Madeleine McLean. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Navin Girishankar, Kirti Gupta, Matt Pearl, Philip Luck, James Andrew Lewis, Leslie Abrahams, Sujai Shivakumar, Matthew S. Borman, Noam Unger, Madeleine McLean, and Carol Kuntz — July 25, 2025

Audio Briefs

Experts React: Unpacking the Trump Administration’s Plan to Win the AI Race

The Trump administration's launch of its AI Action Plan and accompanying executive orders removes any doubt that global leadership in AI is at the heart of economic competitiveness and national security. Our experts unpack the administration's road map and its prospects for impact.

Commentary by Navin Girishankar, Kirti Gupta, Matt Pearl, Philip Luck, James Andrew Lewis, Leslie Abrahams, Sujai Shivakumar, Erin L. Murphy, Matthew S. Borman, Noam Unger, Madeleine McLean, and Carol Kuntz — July 25, 2025

Unlocking Financial Inclusion

The next wave of borderless and truly digital innovations will likely be driven by emerging technologies like AI and distributed ledger technology (DLT). Both technologies hold promise to transform the financial services industry.

Report by Romina Bandura, Madeleine McLean, and Esteban Cherquis — April 23, 2025