School of Development StudiesOverseas Development Group

Brief overview of DEV/ODG

Bruce Lankford

The School of Development Studies studies the economic, environmental,

social and political conditions and causes of human poverty

Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America

The School of Development Studies (‘DEV’)

One of the largest (& oldest) in UK; the only one teaching UG/PG levels, fully research active, consultancy & training, plus with three main disciplines within one School incl natural resources

DEV is a community with• ~ 30 members of staff lecturing and researching• ~ 500 students > 50 countries

– 80 PhD students– 280 UG students– 130 MA/MSc students– 30 joint students on other programmes

Research areas and themes

Three research areas• Social and Human Development • The Political Economy of Development • Livelihoods and Environmental Change

Our key strengths in teaching & research:• Broad inter-disciplinarity • A good understanding of different development

contexts • A tradition of engagement with national and

international policy-makers

Research groupings in DEVSocial and Human Development • Wellbeing, Gender and Identity• Education and Literacy• Health, Policy and Practice

The Political Economy of Development• Globalization and Development• Conflict, Governance and Development• Growth, Inequality and Poverty Reduction

Livelihoods and Environmental Change • Understanding environmental change• Livelihoods• Environmental Governance

Undergraduate programmes1. BA /BSc Hons International

Development 2. BA/BSc Hons International

Development with Overseas Experience

3. BSc Hons Environmental Geography with International Development (3 years)

4. BA Hons Spanish with International Development (4 years)

5. BA Hons French with International Development (4 years)

Taught Masters degrees

1. MA in Cultural Heritage and International Development

2. MA in Development Economics

3. MA in Development Studies

4. MA in Education and Development

5. MA in Gender Analysis of International Development

6. MA in International Relations and Development Studies

Masters degrees cont.

7. MA in Conflict, Governance and International Development 

8. MA in Rural Development

9. MA in International Social Development

10. MA in Theatre and Development

11. MSc in Environment and International Development

12. MRes in International Development

13. MA Globalisation and International Development

New Masters programmes

• MRes in Development Practice (distance learning)

• MSc in Climate Change and Development

• MA in Business and Int. Development

• MA in Media, Society and Int. Development

• MA in Health/Well-being and Development (forthcoming)

Typical UG and PG Units studied

• Development perspectives• Gender concepts for development• Governance, democracy and development• Gender and rural livelihoods• Understanding environmental change• Introduction to education and development• International economic policy• Conflict, peace and security• Health and development

Political unrest, human rights, conservation of the environment - Tibet

Physical isolation of mountain communities - transport, trade, health and education - Nepal

Livelihoods, crafts and traditional skills - India

Floods, natural disasters, communication systems - rural Vietnam

Research by students in DEV

Water resources, fertility, agriculture – river erosion, Tanzania

Fishing and fishing communities in developing countries – coastal fishermen, Kenya

Health, education, social care -group of street kids in Lima, Peru

Trade and microeconomics – a street vendor in Bolivia

Research by students in DEV

Scholarship

Teaching

Practice & consultancy

Research

Training

Policy advising

DEV

ODG

The beneficial relationships between teaching and research

With whom does DEV/ODG work?Gov. Agencies & other Donors - Asian Development Bank- AUSAID- British Council- CIDA- DANIDA - DFID- Global Environment Facility- Irish Aid- World Bank - Commission of the European Union

The UN System- UNAIDS, Geneva, Switzerland- United Nations Environment Program [UNEP]- UN Industrial Development Organisation

NGOs- Action Aid International- CARE International- Oxfam- Welfare Association, Geneva, - International Labour Organisation Research Org. and Networks- CGIAR centres - Institute of Arable Crops Research- International Institute for Environment and Development [IIED]- Natural Resources International

Private companies & consultancies

Career opportunities for students• Careers Opportunities for Graduates • Work for NGOs, charities, action groups in the

UK or overseas – Action Aid, Water Aid etc• Work for large national or international

organisations: DfID, Oxfam, United Nations, etc• Work for local or national agencies,

government, community projects – social, economic, environmental etc

• Management or administration• Journalism – Media research - Teaching

Thank you

Head of School of Development Studies