Development policy concerns economic, political and social development in the South, and how such processes are affected by global and international conditions.

With our world becoming more and more integrated, development in any one country is increasingly influenced by international conditions. These may touch on everything from competition on the world market to power relations, development assistance and the dissemination of culture and technology. Understanding ‘development’ thus requires analysis of many different forms of interaction, conflict and cooperation across national borders – and this point is central to the study of development policy at NUPI. Relevant research topics include:

• What are the causes of poverty and inequality?
• Why do some states collapse?
• What are the consequences of development assistance?