Speech from Dr. Moonga Mumba for the kickoff of the NDDS Project

Past Collaboration Achievements and Expectations in NDDS: The Southern View

Moonga H. Mumba, PhD

Head of Department of Development Studies

University of Zambia

 

Looking back as a PhD candidate then who directly benefited from the past project and later as an active team member representing one of the partner institutions in the HEI ICI Developing Development Studies project which involved IDS Helsinki University and Jyvaskyla University in Finland and three universities in the South; IDS Dar es Salaam, Dodoma University and the University of Zambia, I am excited that I again part of the rekindled relationship. Besides assisting and tracking progress for PhD candidates, striking accomplishments in the past collaboration involved attending workshops on pedagogical skills, research methodology and academic writing, mentorship by senior academics on Surviving the Academia, book publication, building and maintaining institutional links, support to curriculum review, managing a project cycle in academia, among many other things.  The journey together was worth it.

 

NDDS takes a deep reflection premised on the realization that the current paradigms and curricula in Development Studies around the world have become outdated and detached. The project brings on board a fresh look with great expectations and hope that future teachers and researchers from the partner institutions to embrace to further enrich Development Studies scholarly debates that should anchor development policy and practice for sustainability. NDDS has interesting themes and elements linking global challenges with local realities such as critical approaches to Sustainable Development Goals, their localisation, and alignment with the African Union’s long-term development plan, Vision 2063; Decolonisation or re-colonisation of development: Conceptualization of North-South relationships in the intersection of history and future; Tackling challenges such as Covid-19, corruption, climate change, displacements, trade, and investments in the context of globalization; and Exploring new narratives and alternative approaches to development. I am confident that forging links with renewed energy and lenses, we will make it and we shall all proudly be part of that history creation. Welcome on board everyone.