Institute of Development Studies

The Big Question for Development, IDS Podcast November 2009

Each month we speak to two people working on development issues across the world, finding out a bit about their work and asking them 'What do you think is the big question that Development Studies needs to answer?'

China's emergence as a major player on the development stage creates new opportunities for many developing countries but also challenges what we think about development. IDS has recently produced a new series of In Focus Policy Briefings 'China and Development: Lessons for and from the world'.

In this programme we speak to:

• Sarah Cook, a former IDS Fellow and a development economist whose work focuses on China's economic and social transformations. We asked Sarah what the implications of China's rise are for those working in International Development.
• Jing Gu, an IDS Fellow, who has been leading a pioneering study exploring the motivations behind the huge increase in private Chinese investment in sub-Saharan Africa. We asked Jing why Chinese entrepreneurs are investing in Africa and why they are important for development.