The role of culture in institutional change: revising political settlements analysis
By Dr Clare Cummings (Lecturer in Politics and Development)
The rules (or institutions) that govern how we distribute resources and uphold rights are central to questions of inclusion, equity and development. A popular framework for understanding the roots of formal and informal institutions is political settlements analysis (PSA). First developed by Mushtaq Khan in 2010 and influencing over a decade of donor-funded research, PSA argues that to understand how institutions function, we must analyse the ‘inherited balance of power or “political settlement”’ in which institutions exist. According to PSA, rules reflect the interests of the powerful.
One World Together: Our funding, finances and future one year on
June 8th 2023 marked a momentous occasion. One World Together – and our vision to build a new people-powered and community-centred funding system – was born. What a year it has been! Our One World Together community grew to 130 Global Citizens from across 15 countries, and a special partnership with The University of Manchester that means every student can join as a Global Citizen for free!
Polycentric Governance, Cocoa Prices, and Inequalities in Bangladesh: GDI’s Latest Working Papers
We regularly release working papers designed to spark and deepen discussions across the field of development studies. We’ve been publishing these working papers since 2007, with an extensive catalogue covering everything from the political economy of plastic bag bans to sexuality and migration in the Global South.
Working papers allow academics to test new ideas and disseminate provisional findings with relevant researchers and interested communities, without having to go through the process of publishing work in an academic journal. Of course, the research presented in a working paper may well end up as a journal article later down the line. By releasing findings at a relatively early stage, authors may enhance their academic profile, benefit from valuable feedback, and engage in stimulating discussions that deepen their understanding of pressing issues within a given field.
So, what hot topics have GDI academics and related colleagues been addressing in our latest set of working papers?
Career navigation and preparation as an international student in the UK
Xinyue Zhao explores her journey navigating CVs, job interviews, and career aspirations as one of GDI’s employability champions.
This blog is part of a series by our Employability Champions, helping to prepare graduates for life after study. Read our piece by Raju Sarkar discussing the challenges and opportunities associated with finding a development sector job in India here, or read Vinka Maharani’s tips on navigating your career journey as an international student returning home here.
Student voices: championing career success in GDI
Shirley Jenner, GDI employability lead (2019-2024), reports on a recent employability initiative where international postgraduate taught (PGT) students worked to strengthen career support provision in the Global Development Institute. The project was designed to explore two over-arching questions:
What career aspirations do our students bring when they come to study at the University of Manchester? How can students fulfil those dreams?
Perspective, clarity and belonging: GDI PhDs in the Lake District
Anifat Ibrahim, a PhD candidate at the Global Development Institute, and Krishna Das, a PhD candidate at the Department of Geography, reflect on how a well-timed group trip to Brathay in the Lake District earlier in the year rejuvenated their spirits, strengthened their connections with colleagues, and made them happier researchers.
Simplifying economic complexity
How does a country’s ability to produce and export cutting-edge technologies affect its growth potential? What are some of the most promising industries for countries looking to secure long-term growth? In our latest blog post, PhD researcher Isaac López-Moreno Flores reports on the meaning of ‘economic complexity’ and its increasing prevalence as a concept within economic literature.
For some readers, the concept of “Economic Complexity” might initially seem like an advanced and challenging topic in the field of economics. The goal of this blog entry is that the reader can understand the concept of economic complexity easily. I will explain what economic complexity entails, how it is measured, and why it is a relevant research area. Furthermore, I will present examples of topics related to economic complexity not yet widely considered in the literature but would be interesting to explore in the future.
Unity in Diversity: Rethinking Binaries in Development Studies
By Hamid Khalafallah, PhD Researcher at GDI
Ahead of the Development Studies Association (DSA) 2024 conference, I attended a workshop organised by the European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI) in collaboration with the DSA and co-sponsored by the University of Manchester’s Global Development Institute (GDI) and King’s College London (KCL). The workshop, entitled “Unity in Diversity”, provided a space for development scholars from the UK and beyond to reflect on and rethink the purpose and trajectory of development studies.
Calling all development practitioners! Join our Flexible Learning Pilot and boost your resilience
As many development practitioners will attest, we’re living through turbulent times. Faced with growing political unrest, dwindling budgets, and a general sense of burnout, development work can feel like an uphill battle at times.
To tackle this problem, Natalie Cunningham, Senior Lecturer at GDI, is launching a new Flexible Learning Pilot titled “Developing Resilience in Turbulent Times”. Designed for busy lifelong learners (i.e., working practitioners keen to develop their skills), the course will be available online and allow participants to work through material in their own time. By the end of the course, learners will be equipped to better manage their own resilience, develop stronger professional relationships that can withstand intense pressure, and appreciate some of the systemic issues impacting individual and organisational resilience.
Checklist for Digital-Transformation-for-Development (DX4D) Research
The checklist below derives from the Principles for DX4D Research and Consulting, modified on the basis of presentation to an international development audience, and a revision workshop of digital development researchers.
It is intended for use by researchers undertaking DX4D research, to help improve the fit of that research with the particular nature of digital transformation for development: