Reasons to be cheerful
As the United Nations marks
World Day of Social Justice on February 24, this issue highlights how research and teaching can really have an impact in this area.
There's a message of hope from South Sudan, currently one of the world’s most deprived countries, where academic expertise is already helping to open up girls’ education, and has the potential to do much more as the country looks towards a brighter future.
We look forward to the launch of the new free Open University Global Development course on the Futurelearn platform, a taster for the forthcoming Postgraduate Certificate in Global Development.
We celebrate the graduation of Open University Commonwealth Scholars in Kenya and hear from a research student seeking to improve malaria care in her country. And the role of academics in advancing social justice is highlighted by articles on migration and human rights, and also in the wide-ranging topics of our international development seminars (see Events below). All in all, plenty to inspire optimism for a fairer world in the future.
ID@OU
News and research round-up
Rays of hope in South Sudan
As South Sudan is poised to enter a new era of social and economic development, Professor of Public Leadership Jean Hartley points to a model for the future of its girls’ education, and a potentially huge role for open and distance learning in professional training. Read more…
Taster for new Development Management MSc to launch on Futurelearn
Understanding Global Development Management is a free two-week course launching on the Futurelearn online platform in March. It feeds into The Open University’s new postgraduate Certificate in Global Development Management which is due to start in October. Read more…
First Commonwealth Scholarship graduates celebrate in Kenya
The first group of Open University Commonwealth Scholars to complete their MSc in Environmental Management are already making a difference. Read more…
Are African Governments naive to take on so much Chinese infrastructure debt?
No, says Dr Frangton Chiyemura in a podcast and newspaper article drawing on his recently completed PhD, which examines the drivers of Chinese financing in Africa’s renewable energy sector, and the negotiation processes and the engagement between Chinese and African actors. Read more…
New Gender and Social Policy group presents research
The latest workshop held by the recently formed Gender and Social Policy group presented research on gendered capability, wellbeing entrepreneurship, international migration and finance to academics from a wide range of disciplines - as Economics Lecturer Dr Lorena Lombardozzi explains. Read more…
There is no such thing as an illegal migrant in the UK
Professor Jo Phoenix, the OU academic consultant on the current Open University/BBC2 series Travels in Euroland with Ed Balls, examines issues of migration, legality and the unprecedented displacement of people in the 21st century, for OpenLearn. Read more…
These are the five factors driving Europe’s populism
Also inspired by Ed Balls’ OU/BBC2 series on Europe, Economist Alan Shipman argues that Europeans have been driven towards new protest movements by three economic/demographic trends that they can’t do much about, plus two features of the EU that set it up as a multilateral scapegoat. Read more…
‘I want to influence how patients are being taken care of’
Beatrice Amboko, a childhood malaria patient, talks about her research into the quality of malaria care, conducted at KEMRI-Wellcome Trust, an Open University Affiliated Research Centre in Kenya. Watch…
Research shows the value of international solidarity in highlighting human rights abuses
Senior Lecturer Dr Umut Erel has highlighted the role of research in strengthening international solidarity in a roundtable discussion at Tate Modern, focusing on the art of Kurdish activist Zehra Dogan whose installation What is left behind? was part of the Open University’s Who are we? project at Tate Exchange. Read more…
‘I was in Amman and they were in Milton Keynes, but I felt as if they were around me’
MSc in Development Management graduate Houda Khayame talks about her experiences studying with the Open University while working in Jordan as deputy director on a $30M USAID women and child health programme, in a video produced to mark International Day of Education on 24 January. Watch…
Opportunities
Last chance to apply for DSA2020 PhD Masterclasses
PhD students have until 16 February to apply for one of 12 places to participate in a Masterclass on 17 June, where they can receive expert feedback on their project and key issues emanating from their work. They will need to register for at least one day of the DSA2020 conference. Read more…
Two Research Associates (Postdoc) in the areas of i) International Education and ii) Language and Literacy for Social Justice
These new roles sit within the School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport in The Open University’s Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies. Applications for these posts close 20 February. Read more…
PhD Studentships in the Faculty of Business and Law
The Open University’s Faculty of Business and Law (FBL) is offering full-time funded PhD studentships; research topics include socially responsible investing and responses to immigration detention. Deadline 2 March. Read more…
GCRF call for Climate Resilience Network Development Scoping Grants
Climate Resilience Network Development Scoping grants are intended to support the building of new researcher-practitioner-policy maker teams to search for novel solutions for complex climate risks. Maximum award £200,000. Deadline 25 March. Read more…
GCRF Networking Grants
The awards provide up to £25,000 to support collaborations between developing countries and the UK and to hold networking events aimed at addressing global challenges. The call is open to all disciplines. Deadline 31 March. Read more…
Events
Fighting inequality to beat poverty (Open University International Development Seminar Series)
19 February, 12:00-14:00, CMR11, The Open University, Walton Hall Campus, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA
This lunchtime seminar will hear from Dr Chiara Mariotti (Oxfam GB). Read more and register…
The other road to serfdom: 'shock therapy' and the rise of the rentier class in post-Soviet economies (Open University International Development Seminar Series)
26 February, 12:00-14:00, CMR11, The Open University, Walton Hall Campus, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA
This lunchtime seminar will hear from Dr Balihar Sanghera (Sociology, University of Kent). His paper offers a moral economy critique of the transition to a market economy in the post-Soviet space. In a reversal of the classical ideal of a ‘free market’, neoliberalism has promoted and celebrated rent extraction, sometimes over wealth creation. Read more and register…
The role of the state in innovation (Open University International Development Seminar Series)
18 March, 12:00-14:00, CMR11, The Open University, Walton Hall Campus, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA
This lunchtime seminar will hear from Professor Theo Papaioannou (Development Policy and Practice, Open University). Read more…
BOND Conference and Awards 2020
23–24 March, QEII Conference Centre, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, London SW1P 3EE
Keynote speakers include environmental activist James Wakibia and Pan-African feminist Aya Chebbi. Read more and register…
Development Studies Association annual conference DSA2020
17–19 June, University of Birmingham
Early bird registration and call for funding open 4 March. Read more…
