Stephen Thompson is a researcher who has worked across the disciplines of geography and international development since 2007. He is currently a Fellow in the Participation Inclusion, and Social Change cluster at IDS. His research mainly focuses on the themes of social justice and inclusion.
He currently works on two major development projects that are funded by UK Aid and focus on disability inclusion in low-income contexts. Stephen previously worked on the Knowledge and Evidence for Development programme, assisting the UK Government with evidence use and policy creation. He has research interests in education (with a particular focus on inclusive education and tertiary education). He is interested in participatory methodologies and sustainable development. Stephen is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He contributes to teaching on the Masters programme in Development Studies. He tutors on the Ideas in Development, Debating Poverty and Vulnerability, and Research Design modules. He has also lectured at the University of Brighton for the Global Social Policy module of the Social Science degree. He is the School Research Ethics Officer for the Institute of Development Studies and the Investigating Officer for Academic Misconduct. He sits on the Editorial Steering Committee for The Bulletin journal. He is a peer reviewer for the Journal of International Development, European Journal of Development Research and Asian Development Review.
Stephen has previously worked for both research institutes and non-government organisations in both Europe and Africa. He completed his doctorate at the Technological University Dublin in collaboration with University KwaZulu Natal, as an African Vision Research Institute Scholar. His doctoral research focused on the social and economic impact of visual impairment in Mozambique. He has completed research consultancies for various aid agencies including those belonging to the UK, Irish, Swiss, Australian, and Norwegian governments, as well as for the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development, and various non-government organisations. Between 2018 and 2021 he served on the Board of the charity Vision Aid Overseas as a Trustee.
