The case for a joint degree in comparative development

Before Covid-19, before Black Lives Matter, the aid and development sector was already grappling with massive challenges – the ‘Aid too’ movement, the full-on attack on multilateralism, the toxic narrative against refugees, just to name a few. Yet, there was little questioning where to turn for solutions. The sector has responded to those challenges with a flurry of initiatives based on ‘best practices’ and widely accepted knowledge. Stricter measures have been introduced for higher protection from sexual exploitation and abuse in country programmes. In some cases, policymakers have started listening more to the voices of affected populations; in other cases, they have allowed for refugees’ participation in key policy discussions. Yet, the reforms enacted so far are still fundamentally grounded in traditional Western/Northern notions of what is best for ‘developing’ countries’ and their people.

What are those notions? And who defines them?

At its core, the concept of international development implies that ‘developed’ countries have the knowledge, and the means, to help nations that are considered less advanced to make progress. Academia plays a critical role in reinforcing this idea, triggering a virtuous or vicious cycle, depending on how you see it. Academic institutions codify notions of international development through research and learning. Policymakers in donor countries refer to those institutions to validate their strategies. Practitioners comply with donor policies and funding decisions to implement their activities. Academia looks back at those activities, often with donor funding, to build on its knowledge and evidence base. Full circle.

Enter Covid-19. The response to the pandemic around the world has shown, to our surprise, how some donor countries are managing the situation worse than their recipients. Surely, the reasons for this are complex but wouldn’t we expect these countries, which wield so much power to set the international development agenda, to know better? For example, many important initiatives to fight the Coronavirus in Africa seem to go unnoticed in mainstream development circles, while others in the global North continue to catch the headlines. Wouldn’t we all fare better if we shared robust evidence, wherever it comes from?

The resurgence of the anti-racist movement in the wake of George Floyd’s murder has raised even more doubts about what we consider to be excellence in international development. Many practitioners, including me, are wondering if we are perpetuating a neocolonial development model, despite our best intentions. As I have argued, what we consider expertise may hide a bias towards Northern/Western-held knowledge, which is in itself patronising, if not outright racist. How does the aid and development sector survive the perfect storm of Coronavirus and accusations of racism combined?

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