Development Studies Association

Our Aims and Objectives

We are the UK association for all those who research, study and teach global development issues

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What is Development Studies

What is development studies and decolonising development.

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Our Members

We have around 1,000 members, made up of individuals and around 40 institutions

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Governance

Find out about our constitution, how we are run and meet our Council

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People

Meet our Council members and other staff who support the running of DSA

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About

The DSA Conference is an annual event which brings together the development studies community

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DSA2026

Our conference this year is themed "Reimagining Development: Power, Agency, and Futures in an Uncertain World"

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Past Conferences

Find out about our previous conferences

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Study Groups

Our Study Groups offer a chance to connect with others who share your areas of interest

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Students and ECRs

Students and early career researchers are an important part of our community

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Publications

Our book series with OUP and our relationship with other publishers

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Decolonising Development

The initiatives we are undertaking that work towards decolonising development studies

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Membership Directory

Find out who our members are, where they are based and the issues they work on

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Development Studies Association

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Call for Nominations – DSA Council Student representatives
Development Studies Association

Call for Nominations – DSA Council Student representatives

Are you a DSA Student member based in the UK? Nominate yourself or someone else to be a Student rep on the DSA Council

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Call for Nominations for DSA Council Global South Representative
Development Studies Association

Call for Nominations for DSA Council Global South Representative

Are you a DSA Global South member? Nominate yourself or someone else to be a GS rep on the DSA Council .

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Meet the Centre for Sustainable Development at University College Dublin
Development Studies Association

Meet the Centre for Sustainable Development at University College Dublin

University College Dublin hosting DSA2026 is an opportunity to bring Ireland’s distinctive development experience into wider conversation and strengthening connections between UK and Irish development studies communities.

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Past News

2026 Thesis Prize winners
Lived experience is expertise
Bridging the gap between EDI intent and experience
5 reasons to attend DSA2026
Rights, wellbeing, action: towards securities of frontline social workers in India
DSA2026: Are you ready for registration?
Owning My Voice: Reflections from the DSA Workshop on Career Transitions
Making Sense of It All, Navigating the UK Academia: Reflections from an Early Career Researcher
What racially-minoritised early career academics are telling us
Paul Mosley: An appreciation
Five things you need to know about DSA2026
Call for presenters: Decolonizing Development amidst the Rise of Autocracies
DSA Masters Dissertation Prize 2026 winners
2025 year in review
Is your new year resolution to write a book?
DSA Study Groups: building connections in 2025 
Large grant-funded research centres: promises, pitfalls and power asymmetries 
DSA Study Groups at DSA2026
Could you represent students from your institute?
Submitting your first conference paper
Could you be a future DSA conference host?
Deadline extended: Special issue call for papers
When tax becomes political: Lessons from Argentina’s battle over financing development
Getting published in journals: tips for first-time authors
Contribute your research to the ACSS “Good Growth” project
Election for DSA Global South representative on Council
Keynotes on navigating crisis: dangers and opportunities in development
Reflection on the DSA Scotland Study Group Symposium from a MAECR (middle-aged-early-career-researcher)
Book talk on “Disrupted Development in the Congo” with Ben Radley
Development Studies Association online Shut-up and Write sessions.
The Invisible Hand(out) and why it matters 
Development studies in a time of genocide
The Spectre of State Capitalism: OUP book series update
Scotland study group update
Why LinkedIn matters for the development community 
Need support getting to DSA2026?
Political Economy and Political Ecology of Land, Labour and Food
Toward radical collaboration: reflections from DSA 2025
Workshops for racially minoritised early career researchers
Building bridges: Synergies between feminist economics and development studies in times of crisis 
The seeds of inhumanity
Call for papers: ‘(Re-)establishing Political Economy in Development Studies’
Beyond the rubble: learning under fire
Call for papers: ‘(Re-)establishing Political Economy in Development Studies’
Numbers vs words debate: How fusion can provide better insight for effective public policy design
DSA updates on Gaza
Delegate voices at DSA2025
Who are the DSA conference volunteers?
Building a supportive community for Postgraduate and Early Career Researchers at DSA
DSA2025 Statement on Palestine
Delegate blogs reflecting on DSA2025
Centre for Development Studies marks 50 years with DSA2025 conference on navigating crisis
DSA members call on governments for further action on Gaza.
Recovering Development: Annual Meeting of the Development Studies Association Scotland Study Group
Speaking to Early Career Researchers: Reflections on knowledge, mentorship, and hope
Why public engagement on aid has never been more critical
Update: Student and ECR newsletter
DSA Study groups at DSA2025
Response to UK immigration proposals
Keynote speakers at DSA2025
Online discussions on the future of aid
What next for a broken aid system?
Study group represented at SDG event
5 reasons to attend DSA2025
DSA response to cuts to aid programmes: actions for DSA members 
Jobs and fellowships in development studies
Latest events and webinars
DSA Masters Dissertation Prize 2025 winners
Chance to lead a DSA study group: convenors wanted
2024: DSA’s year in review
DSA2025 Call for Papers
Academic freedom, Palestine and the IHRA definition of antisemitism: some reflections from the 2024 DSA conference.
Academics at risk
New Faces at DSA: Madhuri Kamtam drives forward EDI initiative
Get listed on our members directory
Gender norms change for gender justice: rethinking theory and practice
DSA sets up database to collect and co-ordinate decolonising efforts 
DSA members provide learning sanctuary
How to increase your chances of getting panels accepted for DSA2025
Tips for those about to start development studies
Our work to improve diversity and inclusion in development studies
From panels to papers: Call for papers following DSA2024.
New Frontiers of Urban Informality workshop
The case of the CFA franc and a case for South-centred scholarship
Changes to DSA Council members
“Unity in Diversity? Reflecting on the Future of Development Studies”
DSA to support ECRs of colour
DSA on decolonisation: moving from a community of interest to a community of action
Scotland study group mini conference programme
Social justice in many forms at DSA2024
Tips on publishing books & journals
The future of development studies
Social justice and development in a polarising world: rights and representation; redistribution and restoration; and reproduction and production.
Land, Labour and the Politics of Development Study Group webinars
Delegate voices at DSA2024
SOAS showcases DSA2024
Decolonising International Research Collaborations Requires us to go Beyond the “Ts and Cs Apply” Approach.
Round up: Decolonising Development Studies and the Africa Charter for Transformative Research Collaborations
Eat, drink and be merry at DSA2024
Meet the Council: Indrajit Roy
Keynote speakers at DSA2024
DSA PhD Thesis Prize 2024 winners
Global South study group South to South mentoring update
DSA webinar: Decolonising Development Studies
Unity in Diversity? The Future of Development Studies
DSA Masters Dissertation Prize 2024 winners
40% discount on Elgar Encyclopedia of Development
Student ambition within the DSA
Meet the author: Naomi Hossain
Meet the Council: Naila Kabeer
DSA Study groups convening panels at DSA2024
Gendered perspectives vital for climate finance that supports development goals
The DSA-OUP Book Series: Meet the author, Ben Radley
DSA responds to the recent suspension of the UKRI’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion group
Responses to the FCDO White Paper on international development
New title in DSA-OUP book series
Meet the Council: Jonathan Fisher
Meet the Council: Sheila Ronoh
Round up on climate and development finance
DSA Webinar on climate and development finance
Forging renewed commitments towards eradicating extreme poverty
Update on the DSA Race Audit
Meet the Council: Touseef Mir
Meet the Council: Emma Mawdsley
DSA Scotland Study Group conference on ‘Decolonising research: challenges and barriers’
Input sought for UK’s international development white paper
Looking ahead: a message for the future of DSA
New council members for DSA
Uma Kambhampati is the new DSA President
Podcast: Understanding different perspectives of development studies
Record-breaking turnout at DSA2023
Farewell from our “Chair” Sam Hickey! 
Towards a decolonial ethic for building fair and equitable research partnerships
DSA Council elections 2023 – nominations now OPEN!
Round up: Collaborations between researchers and civil society
DSA2023 film screening: Steeped and Stirred
Development podcast round up
DSA2023 tour opportunities in Reading
NGO resources for better collaborations with researchers
Research and insight on Sudan
Academic tools for better collaboration with NGOs
Case studies in NGO & researcher collaboration: Slum Dwellers International
DSA PhD Thesis Prize 2023 winner
Global South study group seeks mentor and mentees
Keynote speakers take the floor at DSA 2023
How DSA members can showcase research on Asia
Evaluating the UK Government’s response to the IDC report on racism in the aid sector
5 reasons to attend DSA 2023
Webinar on NGO and researcher collaboration to tackle inequality and injustice
Contribute your expertise to UK Parliament’s PostNotes
DSA’s global South study group webinar on social protection
DSA Masters Dissertation Prize 2023 winners
What’s wrong with Development Studies and how can we change it?
Host a webinar in our global South study group
‘Geographies of Hope’
Looking inside the ‘black box’ of Development Studies
Reimagining the politics of development
Development in crisis?
DSA2023 Call for Panels
The Politics of Development Studies Workshop
The DSA-OUP Book Series: Meet the author Daniel Agbiboa
DSA Job Vacancy: Communications Officer
DSA PhD Thesis Prize 2022 winner
DSA2022: A step-by-step guide to the conference methodology
DSA Webinar: Perspectives on the UK’s 2022 International Development Strategy
Development Resources: The Ukraine Crisis
DSA Masters Dissertation Prize 2022 winner
Bristol Poverty Institute Joins the DSA
WICID Joins the DSA
Grant Writing Workshop
The DSA2022 Call for Papers is now open
DSA unveils a new dissertation prize for PhD students
Recruiting Series Editors for the DSA-OUP Book series Critical Frontiers in International Development Studies
In Memoriam: John Toye (7 October 1942 – 12 November 2021)
DSA Webinar: Where are we after COP26 and what is needed now?
DSA Members elected Fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences
DSA Members elected Fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences
Getting published – new DSA2021 videos
DSA 2021 in Numbers
DSA statement: Three guiding principles for UKRI and institutions to minimise the impact of the ODA cuts to grant holders
DSA statement on reduction to UKRI’s ODA- funded budgets
DSA Dissertation Prize 2021 winners!
FCDO and the future of UK Aid: Implications for international development research
FCDO and the future of UK Aid
DSA & Heads of Centres’ press statement on C-19 vaccine
FCDO and the Future of UK Aid
DSA statement on UK aid reduction
DSA statement on proposed UK aid reduction
Virtual workshop on Alternative Methods for Researching Migration during COVID-19
DSA2021 Online Conference: Call for Panels now OPEN!
Migrations and inequality: implications for development research and practice
Decolonising Development: Looking back, looking forward
Is Higher Education for Development Producing the Right Kinds of Leaders?
Getting published – new DSA videos
Frederick Ian Nixson – 1943 to 2020
Update from DSA AGM
Would you like to see your photos on the DSA website?
Challenging the invisibility of older people in international development
A message from our new President Sam Hickey
Latest news from the Open University
Unleashing southern research leadership
Critical perspectives on social protection and social policy reforms in developing countries
The role of universities as leaders in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
How will future generations evaluate our response to Covid-19?
DSA Response to the proposed merger of FCO-DFID
Whose Peace? Voices of power, authority and trust in education for conflict-affected areas
DSA Council statement of solidarity with ongoing protests in the US
DSA Council election 2020 – candidates’ statements
DSA2020 – an online conference
IIED 14th International Conference on Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change
International Development Ethics Association (IDEA)
Business and Development Study Group meeting
Farewell from President Sarah White
New podcast from Robtel Pailey
Cambridge Workshop: Teaching Qualitative Research Methods for Development Studies
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