Cutting Edge Issues in Development Thinking & Practice, 2025-2026
The Cutting Edge Issues in Development series is back, and this year we have another fantastic line up of guest speakers from around the world working in the field of International Development.
The new academic term has just started, and this means we are back with our exciting lecture series ‘Cutting Edge Issues in Development Thinking and Practice’! This visiting lecture series, which is hosted by the International Development Department, provides students and guests with invaluable insights into the practical world of international development.
This year, we move the series back to in-person for our students and staff, but we will continue to offer our online audience the chance to watch the lectures back via our YouTube channel, listen via the podcast series and read student reflections on our blog.
The series is convened by Dr Laura Mann.
View the full schedule below (Fridays from 4pm-6pm)
| Week/Date | Speaker + Discussant | Title |
| Week 1: 23 January | Speaker: Dr Maysoon Dahab, Assistant Professor, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Maysoon is an infectious disease epidemiologist and the co-director of the Sudan Research Group, LSHTM. ......................................... Discussant: Rosie Le Voir, Doctoral Researcher at LSE, and Senior Humanitarian Practitioner. | Lives Counted: Measuring Mortality ThroughRevolution, Epidemic and War in Sudan |
| Week 3: 06 February | Speaker: Patricia Owens is Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford and Fellow of Somerville College. She is author or editor of six books and the recipient of seven best book and article awards from three different professional associations. ......................................... Discussant: Aoife McCullough, PhD candidate at LSE and Associate Researcher at ODI. | Erased: A History of International Thought Without Men |
| Week 5: 20 February | Speaker: Ritika Arora. She is an Education Evaluation Manager at the LSE, where she also gained her PhD in International Development, researching accountability, school choice, and communal politics in Indian education. She holds an MPhil from the University of Cambridge and a BA from King's College London, focusing on accountability, political anthropology, and education policy. ......................................... Discussant: To be communicated. | The Parent Trap: School Choice and Majoritarian Politics in India |
| Week 7: 06 March | Speaker: Ruben Andersson, Professor of Social Anthropology at Oxford University's Department of International Development. Ruben is an anthropologist working on migration, borders and security with a focus on the West African Sahel and southern Europe. ......................................... Discussant: Myfanwy James, Assistant Professor in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies, LSE. | The expansion of Global Security Agendas in Times of Crisis |
| Week 9: 20 March | Speaker: Dr Silke Trommer, University of Manchester. Silke is a Senior Lecturer in Politics, Director of the Manchester Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence and PGR Director for Politics. ......................................... Discussant: Kathy Hochstetler, Professor of International Development, LSE. | Trade Development Environment: The More Things Change, the More they Stay the Same |
For any questions related to the event series, please email i.anguyo@lse.ac.uk.