News – Page 2

Travel Grant for Doctoral Students: 17th Pan African Archaeological Congress

From 26 to 31 July 2026, the Paleontological Scientific Trust (PAST), in collaboration with the Pan African Archaeological Association (PAA), will host the 17th Pan African Archaeological Congress at the University of Eduardo Mondlane in Maputo, Mozambique. PAST and PAA are now seeking to support up to five doctoral students to attend the Congress. Deadline: 28 February 2026.

New OP-ED: “Made in Sweden” risks becoming an empty slogan without investment in global research

Anna Mia Ekström, Chair of SweDev, recently co-authored an op-ed in the Swedish newspaper Dagens Industri together with leading representatives from academia and the business sector. The authors warn that recent cuts to Sweden’s funding for global development research risk undermining the country’s long-standing leadership in innovation, global partnerships, and sustainable economic growth.

Join Our Network: A Step-By-Step Guide

New member, or time to update your profile? This step-by-step guide shows you how. Becoming a member is easy and a way to showcase your expertise to the wider development community. A membership in the SweDev network is free and open to PhD holders, PhD students, master’s students, and research associates working in development research who are affiliated with a Swedish research environment. Follow along!

Welcome LTU as our newest institutional support member!

We at SweDev are pleased to welcome the Division of Social Science at Luleå University of Technology as our new institutional support member. The Division offers a multidisciplinary academic environment, including four research and education subjects: Political Science, Law, Economics, and History. As our northernmost member, LTU further strengthens our national reach, spanning Swedish universities from south to north.

SLU Global in Lusaka: New collaboration between universities in Sweden and Zambia

In January, staff from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences visited the University of Zambia in Lusaka (UNZA) to work on a joint program proposal for a Sida-funded collaboration between Swedish universities and UNZA. Aimed at strengthening international partnership, the proposal consists of two subprogrammes: thematic research and research management and support

Conversation: Will Africa’s Gen Z bring lasting political change?

The Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) recently shared a conversation on Africa’s political mobilisation, focusing on Africa’s Gen Z – a generation describing themselves as #fearless, #partyless, and #tribeless actively participating in protests, reclaiming the meaning of democracy and questioning political power. NAI research Martins Kwazema and NAI Director Therese Sjömander examine the topic and draw on real world examples.

EBA presents new study on mapping Swedish aid to children and children’s rights.

The Expert Group for Aid Analysis (EBA) has launched a new study mapping Swedish aid to children and the promotion of children’s rights. Highlighting a lack of a comprehensive overview of the level of focus placed on children in practice, the study will address this gap by looking at proportion, distribution and the strategic focus of Swedish aid toward children and children’s rights.

SweDev Welcomes Anna Mia Ekström as Our New Chairperson

As of the beginning of 2026, Anna Mia Ekström has stepped into the position of Chair of SweDev. Before taking on this role, Anna Mia has been an engaged member of SweDev’s steering group and executive committee, and we are very pleased that she now continues her commitment by stepping into this role. With her extensive experience and valuable knowledge, we are confident in her role as the new Chair of the SweDev network.

NorDev25: Panel Recordings and Call for Papers

On 24-26 September 2025, the Joint Nordic Development Research conference (NorDev25) took place in Ås, at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Recordings from the panel sessions are now available on the conference webpage, along with a call for papers for a special issue of Forum of Development Studies. The call is open until January 31st and welcomes submissions aligned with the conference theme.