Development Studies Week
Find out about Sussex's annual Development Studies Week and how you can attend.
A sample of sessions that took place during Development Studies Week 2023.
With Sussex and IDS ranked 1st in the world for Development Studies by QS for the 9th consecutive year in 2025, Development Studies Week has continued to provide an exciting introduction to where and how we teach development and the top careers our graduates go onto.
Each School and IDS will provide daily online events introducing their disciplines, entry requirements, unique benefits and career prospects.
Sessions will hosted by a range of leading academics who will give an overview of their careers and the courses they teach and answering questions in webinars.
Development Studies Week will take place on the week commencing Monday 28 April.
Browse upcoming events by school below.
- Monday 28 April: School of Media, Arts and Humanities – Media Practice for Development and Social Change MA
Course overview and alumni careers webinar
11am-12pm
Join Dr Anke Schwittay, Professor of Anthropology & Global Development at Sussex, to find out more about the Media Practice for Development and Social Change MA and hear from current Master's students and Alumni. This 1 hour session will be interactive and allow for questions in a dedicated Q&A session.
Alumni joining include: Zeeshan Tirmizi, Al Jazeera Media Institute on Al Jazeera Fellowship 2025 (pictured); Jazer Malonda, Independent Development Project Consultant; Sarah Amr, Communication intern with the UN Sanitation and Hygiene Fund in Geneva, Switzerland.
Sample Lecture: Deep and Active Listening in Media Practice
1pm-2pm
Join Dr Zoha Zokaei, in this lecture delving into feminist and decolonial approaches to deep and active listening, examining how shifting our focus from voice and speech to listening and silence can open up new creative imaginaries in media practice.
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.
- Tuesday 29 April: University of Sussex Business School
MSc Development Economics course overview/alumni careers, and mini sample lecture on 'The Community Effects of Electrification'
9am-10am
Join Dr Maika Schmidt for a taster lecture examining the impact of community electrification in Burkina Faso on a wide range of development outcomes, taking into account both private effects at the household level, and public benefits at the community level – including both, public goods provision and spill over effects from electrified households.
MSc International Business and Development course overview and alumni careers webinar
10am-11am
Join Professor John Da Silva Luiz for an introduction to the International Business and Development MSc course. International businesses need to rapidly respond to concerns on social and environmental impacts. Multinationals are increasingly participating in the Sustainable Development Goals. Hear about the rapid growth in career opportunities in this area.
Current student Abdullateef Lawal, founder of iDixcover joins the session (pictured).
Sample Lecture: The Economics of Net Zero – Balancing Growth and Green Policies
11am-12pm
Join Professor Matthew Agarwala for a taster lecture where he'll examine how economies can transition toward sustainability in the face of climate change. You'll learn how economics plays a pivotal role in addressing the climate crisis and driving sustainable innovation.
Sustainable Finance and Accounting MSc course overview and alumni careers webinar
12pm-1pm
Join Dr Sarada Krishnan for an introduction to the Sustainable Finance and Acccounting MSc. Find out about the role of accounting and finance in meeting the key challenges surrounding sustainability development goals. Hear about the rapid growth in career opportunities in this area.
SPRU policy masters course overview and alumni careers webinar covering MSc Energy & Climate Policy, MSc Sustainable Development, MSc Science and Technology Policy
1pm-2pm
Join Dr Josh Siepel from the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) and for an introduction to SPRU and our courses. Plus hear from a department alumnus about postgraduate life at Sussex and career opportunities in these areas.
Current student studying Sustainable Development, Rafael Lopez Zuluaga, joins the session (pictured).
Sample Lecture: Displacing Fossil Fuels
2pm-3pm
Join Professor Steven Sorrell from the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) for a taster lecture introducing the different types of renewable energy sources and their current state of development. He will then explore one key challenge for the energy transition: namely the low ‘power density’ of renewables and the consequent implications for land use and the social acceptability of the transition.
The University of Sussex Business School offers the following development courses:
- Wednesday 30 April: School of Global Studies
Boost your career prospects – work placements in the School of Global Studies
10am-11am
Dr Suchitra Richards, Director of Practice Learning, will be providing an overview of the unique research placement option available to students studying in the School of Global Studies. Current students and alumni will be joining the session to discuss their placement experiences and tips on the process.
Global Studies Postgraduate School and alumni careers webinar
11am-12pm
Join Dr Dinah Rajak, Associate Professor in Anthropology and International Development, to find out more about Master's Development programmes within the School of Global Studies at Sussex. This session will also allow time for a Q&A session.
Current students joining include Yougyeong Na, studying Food and Development (pictured).
Global Studies Undergraduate courses and alumni careers webinar
2pm-3pm
Join Dr Suda Perera, Assistant Professor in International Development, to find out more about Undergraduate Development programmes within the School of Global Studies at Sussex. This session will also allow time for a Q&A session.
The School of Global Studies offers several development courses, including:
- Anthropology for Global Development Practice 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).
- Wednesday 30 April: Career Centre Talk
How to get a job in Development, Charities and Not-for-Profit
1pm-2pm
An online careers skills workshop about how you can get into the Development, Charities & Not-for-Profit sectors, was delivered by Helen Gorman (Careers Consultant) from the Careers and Entrepreneurship team. Learn about building relevant experience, growing your professional network and how to look and apply for vacancies.
Learn more about the Sussex Careers and Entrepeneurship team.
- Thursday 1 May: Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
IDS International Careers – Alumni and Career Experience Webinar
10am-11am
Mariam Zabakhidze, Alumni Officer, joins IDS alumni to discuss what it is like to study at IDS, what support and advice is available, alumni career progression since graduating and what it means to be part of the network of over 4,000 IDS alumni around the world.
Sample Lecture: Escaping Poverty Amidst Intersecting Crisis
1pm-2pm
Join Vidya Diwakar, Research Fellow at IDS, as she delivers a lecture exploring the world's period of global volatility, characterised by the intersections of violent conflict, climate-related disasters, economic polarisation and the legacies of a global pandemic.
This lecture draws on case studies investigating the dynamics and drivers of poverty amidst intersecting crises in Nigeria and Bangladesh, with a view to identifying ways forward for policies and programming that can more effectively meet the needs of the most vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries.
IDS overview and current student experience webinar
2pm-3pm
Dr Linda Waldman provides an overview of IDS and current student's share their experience of studying various Development Studies courses at IDS.
Current IDS students joining include: César Fernando Pacheco Rodríguez, studying Governance, Development and Public Policy and Sapontara Bora (pictured), studying MA Development Studies
The Institute of Development Studies offers several development courses, including:
- Friday 2 May: MA in International Education and Development
International Education and Development course overview and alumni careers webinar
11am-12pm
Join Dr Gunjan Wadhwa, Assistant Professor in International Education, to find out more about the International Education and Development MA and hear from current students and alumni, who share their experience. There will also be a Q&A session giving you the chance to have your questions answered.
Current student Girwani Rana joins the session (pictured).
Sample Lecture - Whose development? Whose education?
12pm-1pm
Professor Barbara Crossouard, Professor of Theory in Education, delivers a short International Education and Devlopment sample lecture addresssing the importance of education to development, noting how it has been seen as a key vector for both individual and national development. By taking up postcolonial writers such as Nkrumah, we will raise questions about whose priorities this might serve and the need to decolonise the curriculum.
Content from previous Development Studies Weeks
Sussex has run a number of Development Studies Weeks previously. Browse an archive of the webinars and live sessions here to find out more about studying Development Studies at Sussex.