Global Development Institute Blog

Global Development Institute Blog

We’re the Global Development Institute at The University of Manchester: where critical thinking meets social justice.

Solidarity, technology and the future of Development Studies: DSA Conference 2024

Solidarity, technology and the future of Development Studies: DSA Conference 2024

By Dr Louisa Hann

Last month, hundreds of development studies scholars arrived at SOAS, University of London to attend the annual Development Studies Association Conference. This year’s theme was ‘Social justice and development in a polarising world’, inspiring a diverse array of panels and roundtables unpicking some of the many challenges development scholars and practitioners face in an era defined by crisis, conflict, and hegemonic shift.

As ever, GDI colleagues came out in force to represent some of the pioneering scholarship taking place in and around the institute. While there were simply too many GDI-studded sessions for one comms team to cover, we’ve collated just a few key themes from the event, including sessions convened and papers presented by colleagues across various specialisms.

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How to navigate your career journey as an international student returning home

How to navigate your career journey as an international student returning home

By Vinka Maharani

The career journey can feel daunting for an international student returning to their home country after completing a Master’s degree. While you gain a lot of new perspectives at university, adjusting back to your home country with these lenses might be challenging. Whether you are a fresh graduate with limited experience or a seasoned professional, there are several ways to situate yourself better in the job-seeking field despite going back to your home country. Below are some steps categorised by phase:

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Bicentenary Way Celebrates GDI Trailblazers

Bicentenary Way Celebrates GDI Trailblazers

2024 marks the 200th anniversary of the University of Manchester, spurring both celebration and reflection on the rich history of the University and the talented individuals it has nurtured. To pay tribute to its notable alumni, the University has launched Bicentenary Way, showcasing those who have shaped its journey since 1824.

Bicentenary Way, located in Brunswick Park opposite the Queen’s Arch, honours celebrities such as Simon Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Lemn Sissay, well-known historical figures, and individuals excelling in their field who embody the University’s values and community spirit. As the University embarks on its third century of teaching, Bicentenary Way will continue to evolve, celebrating the people who make a difference and ensuring that their legacy remains connected to the campus and the city.

GDI is proud to see our work and history reflected by the inclusion of two of our alumni on Bicentenary Way, Kwame Asamoah Kwarteng and Dr Amani Abou-Zeid, as well as Sir Arthur Lewis, who shaped much of what we now know as development economics.

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Decolonising Development Studies: Progress, challenges, and the role of the Africa Charter

Decolonising Development Studies: Progress, challenges, and the role of the Africa Charter

By Dr Louisa Hann

On Thursday, 30th May 2024, the Development Studies Association (DSA) hosted a webinar exploring the critical need to decolonise Development Studies and tackle the epistemic inequities that govern a Eurocentric research landscape. The discussion also addressed the role of the Africa Charter for Transformative Research Collaboration in achieving such aims – a framework designed to advance Africa-centred scholarship and epistemologies within the global production of scientific knowledge.

Chaired by GDI’s Head, Professor Sam Hickey, the panel comprised of Professor Isabella Aboderin (University of Bristol), Dr Divine Fuh (University of Cape Town), Professor Puleng Segalo (University of South Africa), and Professor Peter Taylor (Institute of Development Studies).

The conversation that emerged during the hour-long session – which you can view on the DSA’s YouTube channel – was dynamic and wide-ranging, raising a multitude of questions for further scrutiny and discussion.

 

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How are GDI academics tackling the ‘polycrisis’ ?

How are GDI academics tackling the ‘polycrisis’ ?

By Louisa Hann

The world has witnessed seismic political, social, and economic shifts since the turn of the new millennium. From the financial crash of 2008 to the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, the frequency and severity of era-shaping events seem to have ramped up over the past couple of decades. Some – like historian Adam Tooze – have adopted the term ‘polycrisis’ as shorthand to describe the web of acute and convergent challenges confronting humanity at this moment in time. Others prefer the term ‘permacrisis’ to capture the feeling that we’re living through an extended period of emergency and uncertainty.

However we choose to define the current political and social landscape, there’s no doubt scholars must grapple with the interconnectedness of global problems if they want to understand the present. For many, this means casting a critical eye over established development frameworks that emerged during a time of relatively stable capitalist hegemony and may no longer be fit for purpose.

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Reflections on the SEED PGR Conference 2024: A Journey of Collaboration and Innovation

Reflections on the SEED PGR Conference 2024: A Journey of Collaboration and Innovation

The School of Environment, Education, and Development (SEED) held its annual conference for postgraduate researchers on Wednesday, 22nd May 2024. Designed to provide a platform for PhD students to share their research insights, the conference gave students and staff an opportunity to network and engage with work occurring within the SEED community.

PhD student Zhuo Sun was part of the organising committee for this year’s committee. Below, Zhuo describes some of the processes involved with creating the event and reflects on some of its successes.

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Opinion: It’s time to transform the economics curriculum

Opinion: It’s time to transform the economics curriculum

The University of Manchester’s Post-Crash Economics Society and Rethinking Economics recently launched a report examining whether the economics curriculum is fit for purpose in an increasingly turbulent twenty-first century. One of GDI’s undergraduate students – Sammi Dé – was involved in the conception and writing of the report, using what he has learned during his studies to proffer constructive critique of orthodoxies within mainstream economics. In the following blog post, Sammi provides some background to the report and his personal academic journey. 

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Kenya’s flood evictions may violate the law

Kenya’s flood evictions may violate the law

Published 17/05/2024 in The Conversation

Recent floods in Kenya have left at least 270 people dead, displaced more than 200,000 and destroyed property, infrastructure and livelihoods across the country. In Nairobi, hundreds of people in informal settlements were left homeless and thousands were displaced. And now, the government has been evicting people from flood-prone areas.

Smith Ouma is a legal expert with a focus on urban governance. His research has covered land and tenure rights in Nairobi’s informal settlements. Moina Spooner, from The Conversation Africa, asked Ouma to share his thoughts on the government’s response to the flooding in Nairobi’s informal settlements and how it can be improved.

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