Global Aid Rethink

With global funding at its lowest in decades and the Sustainable Development Goals significantly off-track, what does the future look like for the global aid landscape? This concluding episode synthesises insights from across the series, reflecting on profound systemic shifts, the implications of recent deep aid cuts in the UK and US, and the immense challenges of rebuilding the moral and political case for international assistance.

To bridge these complex themes and conclude the first series, hosts Ivica Petrikova (Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London) and Melita Lazell (Associate Professor in Political Economy and Development at the University of Portsmouth) engage in a comprehensive final discussion.

Joining Ivica and Melita for this concluding conversation is Dr Jack Taggart, a researcher in critical approaches to international political economy, the politics of international development, and the dynamics of global governance, based at Queen's University Belfast. Together, they explore the historical precedents for aid retrenchment and revival, the rise of national self-interest and financialisation in aid agendas, and the potential for a more fragmented, unilateral future for aid provision. The discussion also addresses the barriers to implementing more effective, recipient-owned development approaches and the crucial need for improved public communication regarding aid's impact and purpose.

Read the transcript here

This is a Research Podcasts production.

Episode credits:
Presenters: Ivica Petrikova, Royal Holloway, University of London and Melita Lazell, Portsmouth University
Guests: Jack Taggart
Producer: Catherine McDonald, Research Podcasts
Music: MFCC via Pixabay

This podcast was generously funded by the ESRC-funded Royal Holloway Social Science Impact Accelerator
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beyond theoretical debates, what are the tangible, on-the-ground impacts of development projects, and what barriers do practitioners face when implementing them? This episode moves into the realities of aid in practice, exploring the immediate and long-term consequences of recent aid cuts, the intricate complexities of localisation, and the actual effectiveness of varying donor approaches.

To examine these practical challenges at a time when global aid funding is at its lowest in decades and the Sustainable Development Goals are significantly off-track, hosts Ivica Petrikova (Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London) and Melita Lazell (Associate Professor in Political Economy and Development at the University of Portsmouth) continue the Global Aid Rethink series.

Joining Ivica and Melita for this discussion are Tamsin Bradley, Professor in Development Studies at the University of Portsmouth, and Olusola Adeyemo, African Lead in Sustainable Farming, Distribution and Extension at AGRA. Drawing on their extensive field experience, they share insights into how aid projects are delivered, the barriers to achieving sustainable impact, and the unintended side effects that can arise. The conversation also addresses vital priorities for future funding amidst reduced Official Development Assistance (ODA) budgets, advocating for a critical focus on systems, education, youth, and local innovation.

Read the transcript here

This is a Research Podcasts production.

Episode credits:
Presenters: Ivica Petrikova, Royal Holloway, University of London and Melita Lazell, Portsmouth University
Guests: Tamsin Bradley and Olusola Adeyemo
Producer: Catherine McDonald, Research Podcasts
Music: MFCC via Pixabay

This podcast was generously funded by the ESRC-funded Royal Holloway Social Science Impact Accelerator
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does the growing reliance on private sector markets and financial logic in delivering international development assistance lead to capital being extracted from the Global South? This episode interrogates the critical and often overlooked dimension of aid as extraction, exploring whether the increasing financialisation of aid genuinely fosters sustainable development or simply prioritises profit generation over the needs of the most vulnerable.

To dissect these complex mechanics at a time when global aid funding remains at its lowest in decades and the Sustainable Development Goals continue to be significantly off-track, hosts Ivica Petrikova (Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London) and Melita Lazell (Associate Professor in Political Economy and Development at the University of Portsmouth) continue the Global Aid Rethink series.

Joining Ivica and Melita for this in-depth discussion is Professor Emma Mawdsley, Head of the Department of Geography at the University of Cambridge and an expert in the politics of global development. Together, they delve into real-world examples of financialised aid, examining the role of development finance institutions like British International Investment (BII). The conversation also addresses the stark lack of transparency in these models, the concentration of investments in middle-income countries, and the broader implications of aid being subordinated to geopolitical logics.

Read the transcript here

This is a Research Podcasts production.

Episode credits:
Presenters: Ivica Petrikova, Royal Holloway, University of London and Melita Lazell, Portsmouth University
Guests: Professor Emma Mawdsley
Producer: Catherine McDonald, Research Podcasts
Music: MFCC via Pixabay

This podcast was generously funded by the ESRC-funded Royal Holloway Social Science Impact Accelerator
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do contemporary development aid systems and institutions simply perpetuate old forms of colonial control and dependency? This episode critically examines one of the most contentious aspects of international assistance - aid as neocolonialism - exploring how the "aid industrial complex" can maintain existing power imbalances even in the absence of direct rule.

To delve into these challenging questions at a time when global aid funding is at its lowest in decades and the Sustainable Development Goals are significantly off-track, hosts Ivica Petrikova (Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London) and Melita Lazell (Associate Professor in Political Economy and Development at the University of Portsmouth) continue the Global Aid Rethink series.

Joining Ivica and Melita for this incisive discussion are Professor Sophia Price, Head of the School of Social Sciences at Birkbeck, University of London, and Aude Darnal, Research Analyst and Project Manager at the Stimson Center and Founder of the Global South in the World Order project. Together, they explore the historical context of neocolonialism, dissecting how issues like conditionality and the marginalisation of local actors enforce systemic inequalities. The conversation also addresses the potential for resistance and decolonisation within the aid system, questioning whether a truly decolonised approach to aid is achievable amidst current global shifts

Read the transcript here

This is a Research Podcasts production.

Episode credits:
Presenters: Ivica Petrikova, Royal Holloway, University of London and Melita Lazell, Portsmouth University
Guests: Professor Sophia Price and Aude Darnal
Producer: Catherine McDonald, Research Podcasts
Music: MFCC via Pixabay

This podcast was generously funded by the ESRC-funded Royal Holloway Social Science Impact Accelerator
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As international assistance is increasingly deployed to achieve foreign policy objectives, where does the line fall between humanitarian intent and strategic influence? This episode leads a crucial discussion on the complex concept of aid as soft power, exploring how global aid is used to persuade rather than coerce, and what these shifting motivations mean for recipient nations and the broader global development landscape.

To unpack these intricate dynamics at a time when global aid funding faces historic lows and the Sustainable Development Goals face significant setbacks, hosts Ivica Petrikova (Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London) and Melita Lazell (Associate Professor in Political Economy and Development at the University of Portsmouth) continue the Global Aid Rethink series.

They are joined by Stephen Brown, Professor at the School of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa (additionally affiliated with the School of International Development and Global Studies), and Rose Worden, a Senior Analyst and Public Affairs and Policy Advisor. Together, they explore the critical distinctions between soft power and hard power, examining the underlying political motivations behind international assistance and the long-term implications for global governance.

Read the transcript here

This is a Research Podcasts production.

Episode credits:
Presenters: Ivica Petrikova, Royal Holloway, University of London and Melita Lazell, Portsmouth University
Guests: Professor Stephen Brown and Rose Worden
Producer: Catherine McDonald, Research Podcasts
Music: MFCC via Pixabay

This podcast was generously funded by the ESRC-funded Royal Holloway Social Science Impact Accelerator
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.