The Department of International Development is launching a new teaching partnership with the Department of Gender Studies for the 2026/27 academic year. The collaboration will allow students from both departments to take selected courses across programmes, including a new opportunity for International Development students to study feminist perspectives on transnational development, and for Gender Studies students to access courses on poverty and sexual and reproductive health. Overall, the partnership aims to strengthen interdisciplinary learning, broaden perspectives on global challenges, and enhance the student experience through shared teaching and expertise.

On Tuesday 3 March, Professor Ken Shadlen delivered his annual lecture on global vaccine technology transfer, production, and inequality as part of a vaccinology course at the Pasteur Institute. The lecture formed part of the course “Pandemic Vaccine Innovation and Access: Looking Back, Looking Ahead,” which brings together around 25 scientists from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Run by vaccine researchers at the institute, the four-week programme focuses primarily on the science of vaccine development, with participants working on developing vaccine candidates during the course. Since 2023, the programme has also incorporated sessions on the social science dimensions of vaccines and global health. Professor Shadlen’s lecture, typically delivered in the third week, examines the political economy of vaccine production and the inequalities that shape access to vaccine technologies worldwide.

Professor David Lewis was part of a high-level discussion titled “Sri Lanka: Strategies for Resilient Entrepreneurship” hosted by Genesis Dilmah Centre for a Sustainable Future and LSE South Asia Centre in Colombo on Monday 23 March. The panel also included Dilhan C. Fernando (Chairman and CEO of Dilmah, also an LSE alumnus). More about the event here.

Jean-Paul Faguet presented his latest research, “Cleavage Shift and Political Collapse and Rebirth in Bolivia,” at the European Journal of Political Economy conference, held in Davos, Switzerland on 2–3 February. The conference brought together leading political economy scholars from across Europe, North America and beyond, offering a vibrant forum for the exchange of new ideas and research. Jean-Paul’s presentation contributed to ongoing debates on political realignment, institutional change and democratic resilience in Latin America.

The Department of International Development is deeply saddened by the passing of Professor Tim Allen. Tim joined the Department in 1997, later served as Head of Department, and went on to become the Director of the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa (FLIA). One of his long‑standing colleagues, Professor David Keen, shares the following tribute on behalf of the Department.

On Wednesday 28 January, Professor Ken Shadlen presented findings from his British Academy–funded project, Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic for IP licensing practices in vaccine production, at the European Commission. The meeting, attended by around 30 participants, was organised by DG GROW and brought together officials from DG TRADE, DG RTD, DG HERA, DG SANTE, and other Commission services. The project is based at Queen Mary University of London, and involves collaborators in Belgium, Denmark, and Poland. From LSE, contributors include Professor Shadlen and Dr Eduardo Mercadante (PhD 2025).

Professor Kathy Hochstetler has written a report for UNRISD, Energy Transition in Brazil: An Overview of Progress and Social Justice Dilemmas. The article examines Brazil’s energy transition, focusing on the social justice challenges of shifting from fossil fuels to low-carbon energy while addressing inequality and protecting workers, communities and vulnerable groups.

Faguet, Jean-Paul (2026). Complexity in institutional reform. World Development, 202

Massard da Fonseca, Elize, Shadlen, Kenneth C. (2026). Aligning health, industry, and innovation through public procurement. European Journal of Public Health, 36(Supplement_2), ii25 – ii29.

Alhassan, Nurudeen, Madise, Nyovani Janet, Corker, Jamaica, Dodua Dodoo, Naa, Coast, Ernestina, Dodoo, F. Nii-Amoo, Emina, Jacques B.O, Pallikadavath, Saseendran, Omoluabi, Elizabeth F. & Peterson, Maame B. et al (2026). Methodological innovations for evidencing and estimating modern and traditional contraceptive prevalence and use dynamics in sub-Saharan Africa. Studies in Family Planning.
Hanrieder, Tine (2026). The politics of evidence in health system crises: the case of Colombia. International Affairs, 102(2), 639 – 658.

Kyle, Margaret, Sampat, Bhaven N., Shadlen, Kenneth C. (2026). TRIPS, pharmaceutical patents, and generic competition in India. Health Affairs Scholar, 4(2).

Reyes-García, Victoria, Krug, Rainer M., Agrawal, Arun, Benessaiah, Karina, Bonilla-Moheno, Martha, Claudet, Joachim, Forsyth, Tim, Garibaldi, Lucas A., Gemmill-Herren, Barbara & Guibal, Camille et al (2026). Actions and actors driving transformative change for global sustainability. Nature Sustainability,

Alhassan, Nurudeen, Corker, Jamaica, Madise, Nyovani Janet, Coast, Ernestina, Dodua Dodoo, Naa, Mzembe, Themba, Emina, Jacques B.O, Omoluabi, Elizabeth, Dodoo, F. Nii-Amoo & Pallikadavath, Saseendran et al (2026). TEAM-UP: mixed-methods data for understanding traditional and modern contraceptive use dynamics in four sub-Saharan African countries. Studies in Family Planning.

Green, Elliott D. (2026). Nations and Nationalism 2025 book debate: Aram Hur, Narratives of Civic Duty: How National Stories Shape Democracy in Asia (2022). Cornell University Press. Nations and Nationalism, 32(1), 18 – 19.

Madon, Shirin, Krishna, S. (2026). Foot soldiers of the pandemic: the role of frontline health workers in building community healthcare resilience in rural Karnataka. Oxford Development Studies, 54(1), 1 – 21.