Research Colloquium

Presentation of a comparative study of European and Chinese foreign and development cooperation policies in Southern Africa

Mr. Raudino Simone (European Studies)

Date: 8  Mar  2011  (Tue)
Time: 4: 00 pm to 6:00 pm
Venue: MW 514 (Meng Wah Complex)

Abstract:

It is a common place in international circles that much of Europe - Africa relations since decolonization has been about development aid. Statistical overviews of Official Development Assistance (ODA) in the period between 1960 and 2010 show indeed that European development efforts on the African continent went unequaled. Remarkably, macroeconomic statistics further show how these efforts resulted in little to no-effect on the livelihood of African people and on the developmental perspectives of their societies. The presentation will discuss a set of research directions to understand why fifty years of European and Western development policies worth USD 1.3 Trillion (2008 prices) brought little results on the African ground. Temptative answers to this question will highlight two contiguous research areas in contemporary African political economy: i) why traditional Western aid policies receive increasing financial support despite their poor track record and; ii) is newly found Chinese activism on the African continent likely to provide an alternative model for social and economic development?  

All students taking the Research Colloquium course must attend. Other staff and students are also welcome.