We are delighted to welcome the newly elected members of the Development Studies Association Council and to congratulate everyone who has been elected to serve the Association over the coming years. We look forward to the experience, fresh perspectives and enthusiasm they will bring to these important roles.

Congratulations go to Professor Michael Jennings (SOAS) on his election as President, Professor Kamna Patel (DPU) as Secretary, and Professor Laura Camfield (KCL) as Treasurer. Together, they will provide strategic leadership for the Association, helping to shape its direction, strengthen its governance, and support its vibrant community of members.

“I have really enjoyed being an active member of Council over the past few years, and it’s a real privilege to be able to take on the role of president to continue that work in a new role,“ said Prof Jennings. “The DSA has endeavoured to strengthen our community, especially early career researchers, students and our global South members, through the range of activities, events and other support the DSA can offer. It has sought to develop new partnerships with sister organisations and other partners around the world. And we have sought to enable our members and discipline to have our  voices heard in public debates around global development, global justice and addressing the multiple crises we face as a global community. As a Council we will continue this work, and look to strengthen and improve our activity in all these areas, listening to and working with our amazing community. Part of this will be to reflect on what we do, how we do it, and what we need to think about to ensure we can meet our missions and values in the face of new and existing challenges.”

Dr Eyob Balcha Gebremariam (Kings College London) and Dr Touseef Mir (SOAS) have been re-elected for second terms on Council, providing valuable continuity and experience. Mohammed Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (University of Dhaka), has been re-elected as Global South Representative for a second term (2026–2029), continuing to bring an important Southern perspective to Council.

We are delighted to welcome our new Council members: Dr Kate Pruce (IDS), Dr Pritish Behuria (GDI) and Oliver Walton Bath – and we will provide more information on them soon. We also welcome elected Student Representatives: Roxanne Tiemann (University of Bath), who will serve the one-year term (2026–2027), and Tegan Hadisi (University of Oxford), who will serve the three-year term (2026–2029). We look forward to the energy, ideas and perspectives they will bring, ensuring that student voices remain at the heart of the Association’s work.

Our sincere thanks go to Professor Uma Kambhampati (Reading) for her outstanding leadership and you can read her reflections on the last three years as DSA President. “Presidents come and go, but the Association continues. If we’ve strengthened the DSA so that it is more open, more inclusive and better able to support its members into the future, then I think we’ve achieved something worthwhile.”

Thanks also to Professor Jonathan Fisher (Birmingham) for his dedicated service as Secretary, and Professor Shailaja Fennell (Cambridge) for her careful stewardship as Treasurer. Their commitment has played a vital role in strengthening the Association and ensuring its effective governance. 

We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our outgoing Council members for their dedication, insight and service to the Association: Professor Emma Mawdsley (Cambridge), Professor Peter Taylor (IDS), Dr Annalisa Prizzon (ODI), and our outgoing Student Representatives, Zechariahs Owutuamor (Reading) and Dr Sheila Ronoh (Coventry). Their contributions have helped shape the DSA’s work, strengthen our community, and support the next generation of development studies scholars and you can read a final reflection from the Student Reps and an interview with Dr Ronoh.

We look forward to working with the new Council as it continues to champion excellent scholarship, foster an inclusive and engaged community, and strengthen the DSA’s role in advancing development studies in the UK and beyond. Find out more about being a DSA member and our governance.