10 reasons to consider studying international development
Dr Oliver Springatebaginski
I’ve just landed in India, after 10 years away, working in Myanmar. I’m on a nostalgic visit to old colleagues who became friends.
Things have certainly changed while I was away.
As the plane doors opened in early morning Delhi haze, Northern India’s uniquely seductive perfume from the land’s vegetation is absent. It had been the first and most persistent impression when I first came to India 30 years ago. But it’s no longer there, perhaps a victim of the air pollution? That’s not the only change each major city I’ve been to so far, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, seems twice the size, with endless sprawling suburbs and more frenetic traffic than ever, additional new giant overhead cement spaghetti of roads and train ways compounding the slightly dystopian impression. Perhaps my age is showing, but India also seems more brash and jarring than ever on the senses: relentless screeching car and motorbike horns, alongside glaring commercial centres purveying glittering baubles for the newly affluent. Ah but what about the calm pace I remember, the quiet evenings, the enjoyable chance encounters with strangers – what else has been swept away in this new world?
As an academic from the University of East Anglia’s School of International Development (did I mention we were just awarded 1st place in the UK govt ranking for development?) I’ve come to visit old counterparts at some of India’s venerable ICSSR research institutes (that’s the Indian Council for Social Science Research) –who I have had the great pleasure of working with for the best part of a decade on rural poverty in India’s forest areas.
Those were great days, doing what still seems like valuable work.
I drop in on Madhusudan in Gujarat and Gopi in Hyderabad, both as a warm and enjoyable company as ever, a few more grey hairs perhaps, but every bit as earnest and astute as I recalled. We enjoy fleeting time together catching up on life since then, and reflecting on the state of India, the rise of brutal corporatism, and the new challenges of working on social issues.
Over lunch, I ask Gopi about students these days. ‘Well, there’s been a bit of a decline in the social sciences, as fewer students seem interested, many just want to study business or IT. Though the need to understand India’s complex changes is greater than ever’.
So, if you are a young person wondering what to study towards a career, let me take this opportunity to address you directly: consider the social sciences, and especially ‘International Development’.
We study the complex transformations that societies undergo and the ways to improve human wellbeing, especially for the poor and marginalised.
We consider this from economic, political, and environmental perspectives primarily. If it’s not your vocation, then fair enough, forget it, you must follow your calling. But if social sciences might be up your street, there are numerous good reasons to study development, here are ten:
First, development is important – As India abandoned its Five-year Plans, the United Nations adopted long-term plans and goals for international development –currently the ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGS) are global society’s top priorities: remove food poverty, protect life on earth, ensure dignified work for all, avoid catastrophic climate change and so on.
In International Development we focus on these, what they are and how they may be achieved.
Second, it is helpful for humanity – we don’t just study in the abstract, but we directly engage in society to try and help.
We research and lobby policymakers. So, it’s a practical and pragmatic subject
Third, it is fascinating – no one can study development issues and not feel drawn into life’s fundamental questions – how should we reduce inequality and injustice, does more money lead to more happiness for societies, why do countries with more natural resource endowments seem ‘cursed’, why are we growing more wealthy as the environment is degrading, and so on.
Fourth, it is optimistic – we believe a better world is possible, and study how me might get there.
Rather than feeling discouraged even resigned by social problems like poverty, injustice and abuse, we see them as unacceptable, to be challenged and resolved. It may not happen as fast as we want, but we will keep campaigning.
Fifth, development can lead to good work opportunities – many students go on to careers doing good, whether in governments, international agencies like the United Nations, or in front line NGOS, campaign groups and think tanks
Sixth, its an adventure – we never know where we will be working next, what sort of needs emerge, what opportunities we will encounter and who will contact us. We can find ourselves doing fieldwork in the most unusual places, working with all sorts of people, summoning up talents we might not realise we have, all in a day’s work.
Seventh, it is multi-disciplinary, and we encourage both ‘big picture’ understanding as well as specialist knowledge. There are a diverse range of disciplines and subject areas that students can explore, depending on their interests and talents
Eighth, development is an intrinsically sociable subject to study – we work with people and students can expect vibrant seminar discussions, teamwork and primary data collection exercises.
Careers in development almost always involve working in teams.
Ninth, development is challenging – addressing poverty alleviation demands everything from development workers – analytical skills, clarity in writing, lobbying and persuasion.
Tenth it is the sort of subject, which if its right for you, allows you to follow your passion, and equips you to do so. Many students go on to start their own organisations, become researchers, or even social entrepreneurs.
OK that’s enough reasons for one article – but I hope I’ve helped you to consider studying International Development? You just might have a more interesting and worthwhile life than if you study IT or business.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS THE SORT OF SUBJECT, WHICH IF ITS RIGHT FOR YOU, ALLOWS YOU TO FOLLOW YOUR PASSION, AND FIND YOUR OWN WAY IN THE FIELD