In this special episode of the IDS Between the Lines podcast produced with the European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI). Andy Sumner, President of EADI and Professor of International Development at Kings College London interviews Professor Melissa Leach who leaves IDS after 33 years. This includes the last decade of her being the Director of IDS.
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As a social anthropologist and geographer, Melissa’s interdisciplinary, policy-engaged research in Africa and beyond links environment, agriculture, health, technology and gender, with a particular interest in knowledge, power and the politics of science and policy processes.
In the conversation, Melissa talks about:
- What her main research and policy contributions have been and how have these evolved over the years
- How has development studies changed over her time at IDS?
- And what does she see as the main opportunities and challenges for the future in an uncertain world?
This podcast is a must-listen for people interested in how development studies has changed over the last 30 years and how we re-cast development studies for future generations.
About the interviewer
Andy Sumner is Professor of International Development at Kings College London. Andy is also President of the European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI) which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and the Royal Society of Arts; a Visiting Professor at the Centre for Economics and Development Studies at Padjadjaran University, Indonesia; Research Associate, University of Oxford; and Senior Non-Resident Research Fellow at the United Nations University, WIDER, Helsinki as well as the Center for Global Development, Washington DC.
About the interviewee
Prior to being the current IDS Director, Melissa Leach founded and co-directed the ESRC STEPS (Social, Technological and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability) Centre from 2006 to 2014, with its pioneering pathways approach to innovation, sustainability and development issues. She is a Fellow of the British Academy and was awarded a CBE in 2017 for services to social science.
About the Between the Lines podcast
This podcast series explores ground-breaking ideas in development for positive social and environmental change. Each month we feature an interview with an expert in international development who will talk about their latest research and ideas.
Episodes content could feature authors of new books, IDS research or interviews with special guest stars.
The discussions give an insight on the themes covered, exploring the challenges and discoveries, and why the issues matter for progressive and sustainable development globally.
Send your comments and episode suggestions to [email protected]
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