A Paradigm Shift in Global Development and Development Assistance: What does it mean for the developing countries?
by Mahtab Uddin Doctoral Researcher, GDI, the University of Manchester Assistant Professor, Economics, University of Dhaka For decades, the promise of global development was rooted in a simple idea: the world, though unequal, could move forward together. Richer...
Shifting Contours of Conflict: War and Cross-Border Migration in the Horn of Africa
by Tekle Weldemichel (Lecturer in Environment and Development at GDI) and Hussein M. Sulieman (Research Fellow at GDI) The Horn of Africa (HoA) has, in recent years, been going through one of the most acute episodes of political and humanitarian crisis in its modern...
Call for papers: Envisioning Labour-Led Urban Development
CALL FOR PAPERS Workshop: Envisioning Labour-Led Urban Development Global Development Institute, University of Manchester Thursday to Friday, 23-24 April 2026 Please find below a full description of the workshop focus and three thematic areas. Workshop organisers:...
New Professional Futures Programme Will Prepare GDI Students to Flourish in their Careers
by Dr Kelechi Ekuma, Senior Lecturer in Management, Governance and Development and GDI Employability Lead Higher education can transform a person’s life prospects, broaden their horizons and equip them with the knowledge they need to pursue an exciting and fulfilling...
Belonging and connection: The role of social cohesion in community resilience
We recently hosted the fourth instalment of our community of practice series designed to support development practitioners navigating difficult social, economic, and political circumstances. Having previously explored issues such as personal resilience, organisational...
Teaching and Trekking in Kathmandu, Nepal
In this blog, Evie Taylor, undergraduate student on GDI’s Global Development course, recounts her eye-opening summer travels in Nepal. Touchdown in Kathmandu After the chaos of India, touching down in Nepal felt like breathing out. There was a sense of...
Cross-city learning to address the global housing challenge
By Isis Barei-Guyot, Tom Gillespie and Smith Ouma On 4 November 2025 Zohran Mamdani was elected Mayor of New York City. The 34-year-old Democratic Socialist campaigned on the issue of urban affordability and took on the city’s political and real estate establishment...
GDI Digest: Behind the Headlines
by Louisa Hann In these times of economic and geopolitical upheaval, global development issues have been making frequent headlines. In recent months, for example, we’ve seen the controversial opening of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (an infrastructural project...