Previous Development Studies Weeks
Previous Development Studies Weeks provided an exciting introduction to where and how we teach postgraduate development studies and the top careers our graduates go onto. Browse resources from the previous years below.
Sessions were hosted by a range of leading academics and featured former international students (alumni), who gave an overview of their careers and answered questions in webinars and live interactive Instagram Live sessions.
The weeks have also featured research talks and sample lectures, allowing students to get a taste of the teaching style, what it's like to study at Sussex, and the leading work our academics do in their areas.
Discover resources from Development Studies Week 2021 and 2022 below.
A sample of sessions that took place during Development Studies Week 2021.
Development Studies Week 2021
Programme of events
| Date | School |
|---|---|
| Monday 22 March |
School of Media, Arts and Humanities – Media Practice for Development and Social Change MA |
| Tuesday 23 March |
University of Sussex Business School – Development Economics MSc |
| Wednesday 24 March | School of Global Studies |
| Thursday 25 March | Institute of Development Studies (IDS) |
| Friday 26 March | Centre for International Education – International Education and Development MA |
Monday 22 March
- School of Media, Arts and Humanities – Media Practice for Development and Social Change MA
11am–12pm: Course overview and alumni careers webinar
Dr Anke Schwittay, alumni and current international students presented an introduction to the course and the experiences of past and present students. Watch a recording of the webinar.1–2pm: Instagram Live
We hosted an interview and question and answer session with professors, current international students and Media Practice for Development and Social Change MA graduates at @sussexuni.
Alumni included Mpinane Senkhane (pictured), a consultant at Reos Partners, a global social enterprise in South Africa; Yasmin El-Beih, a freelance journalist based in Egypt; Aayushi Maira, a development and communications professional from India; and Miki Hamakawa, an APAC Client Support Analyst based in Shanghai.
View a recording of the session.
Watch an Instagram Live session from November 2020 discussing media and development career options and study pathways.
2–3pm: Sample lecture
Producing Media for Development
This lecture, presented by Yorgos Karagiannakis, gave a sampling of the compulsory module “Producing Media for Development and Social Change”, providing an overview of the practice elements of the course, including digital documentary, radio, podcasting and web design.The session also touched upon several case studies and the variety of media projects undertaken in the developing world and included a demonstration of previous students’ creative projects.
The School offers the Media Practice for Development and Social Change MA course in collaboration with the School of Global Studies.
Find out more about the School of Media, Arts and Humanities.
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- Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
12–1pm: How to get a job in Development, Charities and Not-for-Profit
This careers skills workshop outlined relevant tools needed to gain experience, find vacancies and build professional networks in the development, charity and not-for-profit sectors. Download the PowerPoint presentation [PPTX, 5.08MB].Note: Several events also took place on Thursday 25 March for students interested in the Institute for Development Studies.
Tuesday 23 March
- University of Sussex Business School – Development Economics MSc
10–11am: Business School Masterclass
What does Global Britain add up to economically?
The UK has made a bold exit from the European Union and talks about ‘Global Britain’. But how will all this work out economically? What will it mean for trade, migration and investment, and what’s next for ‘Global Britain’?
Professor L. Alan Winters, former Chief Economist at the British government’s Department for International Development looked at the realities of ‘sovereignty’ in an increasingly complex global economic context.12–1pm: Course overview and alumni careers webinar
Join Dr Julie Litchfield, alumni and current international students for an introduction to the Development Economics course and the experiences of past and present students. Watch a recording of the webinar.1–2pm: Instagram Live
We hosted an interview and question and answer session with academics, current international students and Development Economics MSc graduates at @sussexuni.
Alumni included Chikako Takase (pictured), an alumnus from Japan who recently retired from the United Nations after 34 years of service; Namrata Nair, a teaching fellow at Ashoka University in India; and Hassana Babangida, now working as an assistant economist at the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The University of Sussex Business School offers the following development courses:
- Sustainable Development MSc (campus) and Sustainable Development MSc (online)
- Energy and Climate Policy MSc (campus) and Energy Policy MSc (online)
- Development Economics MSc.
Watch more videos about the Sustainable Development MSc and Energy Policy MSc on our Masters Applicant Hub.
- University of Sussex Business School – Science Policy Research Unit
9–10am: Course overview and alumni careers webinar
Professor Gordon MacKerron from the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU), alumni and current international students presented an introduction to SPRU and talked about the experiences of past and present students. Graduates included Sumit Kumar, co-founder of the Sustainable Impact Lab, based in India. Watch a recording of the webinar.11am–12pm: Business School Masterclass
Transforming Sustainable Development
Today’s world is experiencing ever more rapid social, technological and environmental change. The Sustainable Development Goals define directions for progress. Yet poverty, inequality and ecological destruction grow. If science and innovation are to offer genuine parts of solutions (rather than problems), then we need new thinking and action.
In this Masterclass, Professor Andy Stirling, Professor of Science and Technology at SPRU and co-director of the STEPS Centre, outlined new approaches to understanding and action on sustainability and development, expressing ideas that link new theory with practical solutions for social justice and a flourishing Earth.
1–2pm: Instagram Live
We hosted an interview and question and answer session with academics, current international students and alumni at @sussexuni.
Alumni included Rodrigo Frias (pictured), a Technology and Innovation Management alumni from Chile currently working with the Chilean Economic Development Agency; Yuki Fukasaku, a PhD alumni from Japan who served as a former consultant at UNESCO and OECD; and Abbas Abdulrafiu, an MSc Energy Policy alumni from Nigeria currently working as a Doctoral Researcher at Sussex.
View a recording of the session.
Watch a short video presented by Rodrigo about why he chose Sussex and his career journey after graduating.
The University of Sussex Business School offers the following development courses:
- Sustainable Development MSc (campus) and Sustainable Development MSc (online)
- Energy and Climate Policy MSc (campus) and Energy Policy MSc (online)
- Development Economics MSc.
Find out more about the Science Policy Research Unit. Watch more videos about the Sustainable Development MSc and Energy Policy MSc on our Masters Applicant Hub.
Online chat
Want to find out more about studying at Sussex? Send a question to one of our current students via UniBuddy online chat.
Wednesday 24 March
- School of Global Studies
9–10am: Boost your career prospects – work placements in the School of Global Studies
This career prospects webinar was presented by Dr Suchitra Richards. View a recording of the webinar.10am–11am: School and course overview and alumni careers webinar
Dr Dinah Rajak, alumni and current international students provided an introduction to the School and talked about the experiences of past and present students. Watch a recording of this session.11am–12pm: Instagram Live
We hosted an interview and question and answer session with academics, current international students and alumni at @sussexuni.
Alumni included Laura Lucía Rodríguez (pictured), a Migration Studies MA alumni from Colombia now working as a consultant for the Jesuit Refugee Service, and Gautami Srivastava, a Social Development MA graduate and founder of ‘Buraansh’, a social enterprise operating in Himachal Pradesh, India.
12–1pm: Sample lecture
Lockdown and Livelihoods in Rural South India: Rethinking patronage and care under Covid-19
This lecture presented accounts of both local and migrant textile workers from two villages in Tamil Nadu.It described the immediate economic fall-out of the lockdown in terms of job losses and reveal some of the instantaneous responses the lockdown elicited, particularly by employers and by the state.
This lecture was presented by Professor Geert de Neeve (pictured), an expert on Social Anthropology and South Asian studies.
The School of Global Studies offers several development courses, including:
- Anthropology of Development and Social Transformation MA
- Conflict, Security and Development MA
- Environment, Development and Policy MA
- Gender, Violence and Conflict MA
- Human Rights MA
- Social Development MA
- Migration and Global Development MA
- Migration Studies MA
- Climate Change, Development and Policy MSc (with IDS)
- Food and Development MA (with IDS).
Find out more about the School. Watch more videos about Development, Migration, and Energy, Sustainability and Innovation courses on our Masters Applicant Hub.
Online chat
Want to find out more about studying at Sussex? Send a question to one of our current students via UniBuddy online chat.
Thursday 25 March
- Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
11am–12pm: IDS Alumni services and international careers alumni
Michelle Cruickshank and former international students talked about careers support offered by IDS and the career destinations of IDS graduates, including:-
Yukari Tsunokake, a Japanese Poverty and Development MA graduate working as a Country Officer for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in Tokyo, Japan
-
Ujjwal Krishna, a Development Studies MA alumni from India employed as a Specialist Doctoral Research Scholar as part of the Developmental Leadership Program (DLP), in Melbourne, Australia
-
Olusola Owonikoko, a Globalisation, Business and Development MA alumni from Nigeria, currently working as Executive Director of Project Enable Africa, in Lagos, Nigeria.
Watch a recording of the alumni and careers talk.
12–1pm: Instagram Live
We hosted an interview and question and answer session with academics, current international students and alumni at @sussexuni. View a recording of the session.1–2pm: Sample lecture
Economic Perspectives on Development and Beyond
This lecture covered key concepts in economic perspectives on development and the interdisciplinary approach to teaching at IDS. It covered ideas on economic growth, structural change, the role of markets and the state, trade, poverty, and agriculture.
The lecture was presented by Dr Amrita Saha (pictured), IDS research fellow, co-convener of the Economic Perspectives on Development module and winner of the Export-Import Bank of India IERA award.
2–3pm: IDS and course overview webinar
Dr Linda Waldman and current international students provided an introduction to the department and an insight into student life at IDS. Watch a recording of the webinar.Note: A careers skills workshop also took place on Monday 22 March for students interested in the Institute of Development Studies.
The Institute of Development Studies offers several development courses, including:
- Development Studies MA
- Gender and Development MA
- Globalisation, Business and Development MA
- Governance, Development and Public Policy MA
- Power, Participation and Social Change MA
- Poverty and Development MA.
Online chat
Want to find out more about studying at Sussex? Send a question to one of our current students via UniBuddy online chat.
-
Friday 26 March
- Centre for International Education – International Education and Development MA
12–1pm: Education and Development course overview and alumni careers webinar
Dr Marcos Delprato and alumni provided an introduction to the Centre and an insight into student life at Sussex. Alumni included Juhi Kumari, a Senior Manager at iAugmentor Labs and co-founder of The Project Ease, a well-being start-up based in India. Watch a recording of the webinar.A previous webinar, hosted by Marcos and other international alumni in November 2020, also gave a useful overview of the course. Watch the recording.
1–2pm: Instagram Live
We hosted an interview and question and answer session with academics, current international students and International Education and Development MA alumni at @sussexuni.
Alumni included Su’ur Su’eddie Vershima Agema (pictured), Executive Director at SEVHAGE Literary & Development Initiative in Nigeria; Dilshad Begum, an assessment specialist in the Monitoring and Evaluation department for a company called Orenda in Pakistan; Mami Kawaguchi, an advocacy officer for Save the Children, based in Japan.
View a recording of the session.
Watch an Instagram Live session from November 2020 discussing International Education and Development MA career options and study pathways.
2–3pm: Sample lecture
Professor Mairead Dunne presented a sample lecture entitled ‘Education and Development’. Revisit the session in full.The Centre for International Education offers the International Education and Development MA course.
Find out more about the centre.
Online chat
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Development Studies Week 2022
Programme of events
| Date | School |
|---|---|
| Monday 25 April |
School of Media, Arts and Humanities – Media Practice for Development and Social Change MA Careers skills workshop for all schools and Institute of Development Studies |
| Tuesday 26 April |
University of Sussex Business School University of Sussex Business School – Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) |
| Wednesday 27 April | School of Global Studies |
| Thursday 28 April | Institute of Development Studies (IDS) |
| Friday 29 April | Centre for International Education – International Education and Development MA |
Monday 25 April
- School of Media, Arts and Humanities – Media Practice for Development and Social Change MA
11am–12pm: Course overview and alumni careers webinar
Dr Anke Schwittay, alumni and current international students (from Japan, India, Nepal, Canada, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Egypt and South Africa) presented an introduction to the course and the experiences of past and present students. Watch a recording of the webinar.1–2pm: Instagram Live
We hosted an interview and question and answer session with professors, current international students and Media Practice for Development and Social Change MA graduates at @sussexuni.
Alumni include Akintunde Babatunde, Deputy Director at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development in Nigeria; Madhu Rathnayaka, Strategic Communications & Policy Advocacy Expert in Sri Lanka; Light Juma (pictured), a Freelance Freelance Communications Consultan from Kenya, who has experience working with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Department for International Development, UK (DFID); Yasmin El-Beih, a Freelance Journalist from Egypt; Mpinane Senkhane, a consultant at a global social enterprise, Reos Partners, in South Africa; Pooja Khati, from Nepal, a Communications & Engagement Manager at greenlight for girls in Belgium.
2–3pm: Sample lecture
Producing Media for Development
This lecture, presented by Yorgos Karagiannakis, gave a sample of the compulsory module “Producing Media for Development and Social Change”, providing an overview of the practice elements of the course, including digital documentary, radio, podcasting and web design.The session touched upon several case studies and the variety of media projects undertaken in the developing world and included a demonstration of previous students’ creative projects.
The School offers the Media Practice for Development and Social Change MA course in collaboration with the School of Global Studies.
Find out more about the School of Media, Arts and Humanities.
Online chat
Want to find out more about studying at Sussex? Send a question to one of our current students via UniBuddy online chat.
- Careers skills workshop for all schools
12–1pm: How to get a job in Development, Charities and Not-for-Profit
This careers skills workshop outlined relevant tools needed to gain experience, find vacancies and build professional networks in the development, charity and not-for-profit sectors.
Tuesday 26 April
- University of Sussex Business School
10–11am: Course overview and alumni careers webinar - Development Economics MSc
Join Dr Annemie Maertens and alumni for an introduction to the Development Economics course and the experiences of previous students from India, Nigeria, Tanzania and Japan. Watch back a recording.
12–1pm: Sample lecture
Worldwide progress on poverty reduction and the prospective impact of COVID-19
Poverty reduction was the key focus of the Millennium Development Goals and poverty eradication now features strongly in the Sustainable Development Goals.
In this lecture Professor Andy McKay looked at progress by world region and globally in relation to different concepts of poverty.
He then considered any available evidence on how COVID-19 is likely to have derailed progress.
1–2pm: Instagram Live
We hosted an interview and question and answer session with academics, current international students and MSc graduates at @sussexuni.
Alumni included Namrata Nair, a Research Associate at Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board Of India; Riddhi Mastakar, Analyst at Sattva Consulting in India; Saumya Jain, a Research Associate at CMS -Social Impact Specialists in India; Terhemen Agabo (pictured), a Monitoring Evaluation Research and Learning Officer at LEAP Africa in Nigeria; Mpoki James, from Tanzania, an International Development Consultant currently working with Africa Foresight Group (AFG) in Ghana and Adeste Advisory Limited in the UK.
Watch back the recording
2-3pm: Course overview and alumni careers webinar - Sustainable Finance and Accounting MSc
Join Dr Sarada Krishnan for an introduction to the Sustainable Finance and Acccounting MSc course. Find out about​ the role of acccounting and finance in meeting the key challenges surrounding sustainability development goals. Hear about the rapid growth in career opportunities in this area. Watch the recording.The University of Sussex Business School offers the following development courses:
- Sustainable Development MSc (campus) and Sustainable Development MSc (online)
- Sustainable Finance and Accounting MSc
- Energy and Climate Policy MSc (campus) and Energy Policy MSc (online)
- Development Economics MSc
Watch more videos about the Sustainable Development MSc and Energy and Climate Policy MSc on our Masters Applicant Hub.
- University of Sussex Business School – Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU)
9–10am: Course overview and alumni careers webinar - SPRU
Join Professor Gordon MacKerron from the
Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU), alumni
and current international students (from
Nigeria, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea,
India and Ghana) for an introduction to
SPRU and the experiences
of past and present students.
Watch back the recording11am–12pm: Sample lecture
Between “AI Winters” and “AI Summers”: Is Artificial Intelligence really transforming our economies? And How?’
In this lecture, Dr Simone Vannuccini presented a ‘guided tour’ of the many paths through which Artificial Intelligence is shaping the world around us.
Rather than focusing just on industrial automation, we will see how ‘prediction technologies’ re-write the rules of the game of business, science, and policy-making.
1–2pm: Instagram Live
We hosted an interview and question and answer session with academics, current international students and MSc graduates at @sussexuni.
Alumni included Narai Kim (pictured right), a Senior Project Manager at Intralink in South Korea; Rika Safrina, an Energy Modelling and Policy Planning Officer at ASEAN Centre for Energy in Indonesia; Mari Asano from Japan, a Coordinator at Japan Center in the University of Los Andes, Colombia (pictured above for webinar session).
10–11pm: Webinar for students from Latin America
Join Luis Ananguren, Senior International Officer for the Americas, and current students studing in SPRU - from Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay - for a special Spanish language webinar about SPRU courses, student experience and careers.
Watch a short video presented by Rodrigo Frias (pictured), a Technology and Innovation Management graduate from Chile currently working with the Chilean Economic Development Agency, about why he chose Sussex and his career journey after graduating.
The University of Sussex Business School offers the following development courses:
- Sustainable Development MSc (campus) and Sustainable Development MSc (online)
- Sustainable Finance and Accounting MSc
- Energy and Climate Policy MSc (campus) and Energy Policy MSc (online)
- Development Economics MSc
- Science and Technology Policy MSc.
Find out more about the Science Policy Research Unit. Watch more videos about the Sustainable Development MSc and Energy and Climate Policy MSc on our Masters Applicant Hub.
Online chat
Want to find out more about studying at Sussex? Send a question to one of our current students via UniBuddy online chat.
Wednesday 27 April
- School of Global Studies
09:00am–10:00pm: Boost your career prospects – work placements in the School of Global Studies
This webinar was presented by Dr Suchitra Richards and provided an overview of the unique research placement option available to students studying in the School of Global Studies.
It features current student, Phoebe Marsh (pictured and studying Gender, Violence and Conflict MA) and Mishal Mathews (former Socal Development MA student), who will discuss their placement experiences and tips on the process. Watch the recording.
10:30–11:30am: School and course overview and alumni careers webinar
Dr Dinah Rajak, alumni and current international students provide an introduction to the School and talk about the experiences of past and present students (from Japan, India, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and USA) . Watch the recording.11:30am–12:30pm: Instagram Live
We hosted an interview and question and answer session with academics, current international students and alumni at @sussexuni.
Alumni included Haruto Hiroki, a Business Consultant in Japan; Mishal Mathews (pictured), a Research Assistant at United Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) in India; Carlos Ernesto Cuinica, Programme Specialist - Adolescents and Youth sexual and reproductive heath and rights, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Mozambique.
Watch the recording part 1 and part 2
1-2pm: Sample lecture
Getting Home During Lockdown: Circular migration and hyper-precarity in rural Tamil Nadu, India, at the time of Covid-19
This lecture unpacks the fate of Indian circular labour migrants at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The talk aims to provides an insight into how migrants’ hyper-precarity became further entrenched and reinforced during the Covid-19 crisis.
This lecture is presented by Professor Geert de Neeve (pictured), an expert on Social Anthropology and South Asian studies.
10-11pm: Webinar for students from Latin America
Join Luis Ananguren, Senior International Officer for the Americas, and current students studing in the School of Global Studies - from Mexico and Colombia - for a special Spanish language webinar about the School of Global Studies courses, student experience and careers.
The School of Global Studies offers several development courses, including:
- Anthropology of Development and Social Transformation MA
- Conflict, Security and Development MA
- Environment, Development and Policy MA
- Gender, Violence and Conflict MA
- Human Rights MA
- Social Development MA
- Migration and Global Development MA
- Migration Studies MA
- Climate Change, Development and Policy MSc (with IDS)
- Food and Development MA (with IDS).
Find out more about the School. Watch more videos about Development, Migration, and Energy, Sustainability and Innovation courses on our Masters Applicant Hub.
Online chat
Want to find out more about studying at Sussex? Send a question to one of our current students via UniBuddy online chat.
Thursday 28 April
- Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
11am–12pm: IDS international careers - alumni course and career experience webinar
International alumni from the Institute of Development Studies talked about their careers and how their course helped them achieve their goals. Alumni include:
Yukari Tsunokake, a Japanese Poverty and Development MA graduate who has experience as Country Officer for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in Japan and Adolescent Development Officer in United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Uganda 
Prachi Pal, a Development Studies MA graduate from India and Co-Founder of Evolverance-empowering grassroots NGOs and Consultant at Dasra
Samirah Bello, a Globalisation, Business and Development MA graduate from Nigeria, currently working as Strategic Partnerships Associate at Thrive Agric
Sodam Baek, a Development Studies MA graduate from South Korea, now working as Assistant Manager of the Multilateral Cooperation and Humanitarian Assistance Department at Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)
Naa Ayeleysa, a Globalisation, Business and Development MA graduate from Ghana Corporate Affairs and Administration Officer– British Council, Ghana12–1pm: Instagram Live
We hosted an interview and question and answer session with current international students and alumni at @sussexuni.
Alumni included those from preceding webinar and Karely Alvarado Ochoa, a Socio-Environmental Innovation Consultant at makesense in Mexico.
Watch back a recording
1–2pm: Sample lecture
Connecting Sexuality and Development
In this session, Dr Tessa Lewin examined the linkages between sexuality and development, and some of the key tensions that have emerged around demands for sexual rights.
We will ask why, and in what way, sexuality matters for development. We will ask what queer theory might have to offer development, and explore the connections between sexuality and human rights, and at the debates around sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.
2–3pm: IDS and course/current student overview webinar
Dr Linda Waldman and current international students (from South Korea, Japan, Ghana, Nigeria, Mexico and India) provided an introduction to IDS and an insight into student life. Watch back a recording10–11pm: Webinar for students from Latin America
Join Luis Ananguren, Senior International Officer for the Americas, and current students studing in IDS - from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico and Nicaragua - for a special Spanish language webinar about the School of Global Studies courses, student experience and careers.
The Institute of Development Studies offers several development courses, including:
- Development Studies MA
- Gender and Development MA
- Globalisation, Business and Development MA
- Governance, Development and Public Policy MA
- Power, Participation and Social Change MA
- Poverty and Development MA.
Find out more about IDS and visit Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter for more videos and blog posts.
Online chat
Want to find out more about studying at Sussex? Send a question to one of our current students via UniBuddy online chat.
Friday 29 April
- Centre for International Education – International Education and Development MA
12–1pm: International Education and Development course overview and alumni careers webinar
Join faculty, alumni and current international students (from Japan, South Korea, Ghana, Turkey and USA) for an introduction to the course and the experiences of past and present students. Watch a recordingWatch a January 2022 webinar with course convenor, Dr Sean Higgins, and current students from Japan, Kenya, Myanmar and Nigeria for a taste of the upcoming Development Studies Week session.
In-depth course webinars for prospective students are also held monthly.
1–2pm: Instagram Live
We hosted an interview and question and answer session with academics, current international students and International Education and Development MA alumni at @sussexuni.
Alumni included Su’ur Su’eddie Vershima Agema (pictured), Executive Director at SEVHAGE Literary & Development Initiative in Nigeria; Mami Kawaguchi, an advocacy officer for Save the Children, based in Japan; Dana Choi, Youth Programme Analyst in UNFPA, in South Korea; Soojung Park, former Managing Director at Educators Without Borders and Swiss Korean Correspondent at ASIATODAY in Switzerland.
Watch a recording2–3pm: Sample Lecture
Addressing the challenges and needs of out of school children: insights from the Centre for International Education
This talk, by Dr Sean Higgins, will draw on pioneering research into the contribution of accelerated learning programmes to enabling out of school children to make successful transitions into formal schooling.
In particular, it celebrates how these programmes offer ways of reaching marginalised children through innovative and exciting teaching methods and approaches.
Find out more about the centre and the course.
Online chat
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If you have any questions about Development Studies Week, please contact James Minhas in the International Office