Debating Development Research

08/04/2025

Is the Green Transition an Opportunity for Structural Industry Transformation in the Global South?

By Jiayi Wang and Ragdad Cani Miranti

Across the world, countries are facing a critical juncture in their structural transformation. In the Global South, the intensifying climate is leaving countries vulnerable to significant economic risks, including stagnation, middle-income traps, and premature de-industrialisation. Meanwhile, the Global North is showing a renewed interest in industrial policy, driven by geopolitical imperatives to secure supply chains, the urgency for climate adaptation and mitigation, and the need to reinvigorate domestic manufacturing sectors amid global competition

03/04/202503/04/2025

The New Washington Dissensus: Trump’s Five Principles for Development Cooperation

By Andy Sumner and Stephan Klingebiel

The Trump administration has set out to radically reshape U.S. foreign aid, pushing the “America First” agenda to ensure every dollar spent abroad serves American interests.

The latest indication comes in the form of a 36-question survey sent to international organizations and NGOs that are USAID recipients, effectively forcing them to justify their alignment with U.S. sovereignty, national security, and economic interests. This questionnaire is more than bureaucratic red tape—it is a litmus test for ideological compliance with Trumpism.

01/04/202501/04/2025

Analyzing Community Representation in the Kenyan Aid Chain

By Maaike Matelski and Lise Woensdregt

Within the field of development research and practice, there is a growing awareness that interventions aimed at supporting emancipation struggles in the Global South should prioritize local actors and agendas. Consequently, community-based organizations (CBOs) are increasingly considered vehicles of change. But who are the communities that constitute these CBOs? To complement existing literature on CBOs that focuses primarily on Northern case studies, we decided to analyse this question in relation to two types of CBOs engaged in advocacy work in Kenya. Our findings testify to the diversity of identities, forms and goals of organizations that come under the banner ‘community-based’.

14/03/2025

Building Inclusive Partnerships: Key Strategies for Successful Funding Applications

By Roseanna Avento, Kelly Brito and Susanne von Itter

In the realm of research and development, fostering inclusive global academic partnerships is crucial for addressing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) considerations. These partnerships not only enhance the quality and relevance of research but also ensure that diverse perspectives and expertise are integrated into collaborations. Inclusive partnerships help bridge gaps between different regions, disciplines, and communities, promoting a decolonial and more equitable approach to engagement between the Global South and Global North.

11/03/2025

Decolonizing Policy Advice: The Oxymoronic Nature of Danish Researchers Advising a Danish Ministry on a Danish Plan for Africa

By Adam Moe Fejerskov, Mikkel Funder and Nauja Kleist / part of our “Share your Decolonising Story” project

Denmark has a new strategy for engaging with Africa. In this blog follow some reflections on how we at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) collaborated with colleagues in African research institutions to turn the usual North-driven ”Policy Brief” on its head. Because who gets to influence development policy in European capitals? Who should influence development policy in European capitals? And should European capitals at all be making strategies and plans for Africa?