Strategic Partnership or Strategic Expansionism? NATO’s Out-Of-Area Operations on Peacekeeping with the African Union: NATO’s historical ties with Africa have evolved from colonial origins to a sustained “new relationship” focused on cooperation in peacekeeping, driven by ongoing security threats. This paper examines the trends, prospects, challenges, and opportunities of this pivot toward working with the African Union on peacekeeping, moving beyond the previous focus on military intervention like in Libya.

Smart economics as gendered racial capitalism: a critique of corporate capitalism’s co-option of gender equity frameworks: This article argues that ‘smart economics’ as a paradigm for gender equity continues the historical trend of gendered and racialized capitalism appropriating social justice discourse. Using the example of Unilever, a corporation with roots in colonial commodity racism, the paper highlights how the company co-opts gender equity into its narrative of progress, effectively allowing this framework to enable gendered racial capitalism rather than holding the corporation accountable for its past. 5 

Should the Bank of England be independent? Andrew Haldane, Daniela Gabor and James Butler: This podcast excerpt from On Politics discusses the enduring question of the Bank of England’s independence since it was granted operational control over interest rates in 1997. In light of recent inflation and economic turbulence, the conversation with former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane and economist Daniela Gabor scrutinizes the central bank’s actions, including quantitative easing, and challenges the meaning and future of its neutrality.

Event: 29 January 2026 Why Socioeconomic Conditions Matter in Shaping State Institutions that Propels or Hinders: This SOAS seminar, “Why Socioeconomic Conditions Matter in Shaping State Institutions that Propels or Hinders,” features Professor Jawied Nawabi discussing his book on the role of the state in development. Drawing on comparative historical analysis, the book argues that effective developmental states form when state actors successfully diminish the power of landed elites, with agrarian reform being the crucial policy tool that enables subsequent positive changes in areas like taxation, education, and healthcare.

The great hydropower dilemma: Can large and mega dams deliver a just energy transition? This analysis examines the global dilemma of relying on large and mega hydropower dams as a cornerstone of climate mitigation, questioning their ability to deliver a just energy transition. While often seen as reliable, low-carbon sources, these projects face growing controversy due to significant environmental impacts, vulnerability to climate change-driven droughts, and profound social injustices, often displacing local and Indigenous communities while lacking procedural fairness.

Surbhi Kesar, Senior Lecturer, has been appointed Associate Editor of the Oxford Development Studies journal.