News – Page 3

Aid Cuts in a Global Crisis: Anna Mia Ekström Interviewed on Ekot

Following the Swedish government’s decision to cut development aid and end bilateral support to five countries, SweDev’s incoming chair Anna Mia Ekström warns in an interview with the Swedish Radio Ekot that the timing could not be worse. She stresses that the cuts risk worsening global crises, increasing health risks, and weakening Sweden’s long-standing role as a reliable development partner.

SweDev’s Parliamentary Seminar Called for Action to Protect Swedish International Development Research

On 19 November, SweDev moderated a seminar in the Swedish parliament highlighting the urgent challenges facing development research amid funding cuts – including declining international cooperation and researchers shifting fields – and the importance of strengthening researcher–practitioner collaboration and secure Sweden’s role in global development research.

Insights from SweDev’s Member Survey 2025: How have funding cuts affected Sweden’s international development research?

SweDev’s 2025 Member Survey shows how recent funding cuts are reshaping Swedish development research. Researchers report shifting away from global development priorities, weakened collaborations with the Global South, and rising pessimism among early-career scholars about their future in the field.

SweDev’s chair becomes new head of Sida’s research unit

Jesper Sundewall, SweDev’s chair and researcher at Lund University, will become the Head of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency’s Research Unit starting 1 January 2026. The research unit is now being reinstated after previously having been removed. Jesper has been part of SweDev’s steering committee since 2020.

SweDev at NorDev 2025

The Joint Nordic Development Research Conference (NorDev25) was held at NMBU in Ås, Norway, gathering around 200 participants to discuss solidarity, social justice, and sustainability in uncertain times. SweDev was represented by Janet Vähämäki in the final panel, contributing reflections on the importance of continued research cooperation and solidarity across borders.

Behind the Research – Environment and Rural Change

Our next institutional support member is the Swedish University of Agriculture Science (SLU), represented by Linda Engström, researcher at the Department of Urban and Rural Development. Through her insights you’ll learn more about the division’s research on the politics of environment and rural transformations. Happy reading!

Behind the research – Division of social medicine and global health

We are excited to continue our series highlighting SweDev’s institutional support members. The second institution to be featured is Lund University, represented by Jesper Sundewall. Learn more about their research on global health and health systems, with a focus on development aid and the role of international cooperation.

Behind the Research – SweDevs Institutional support members

We are excited to introduce a new series highlighting our institutional support members. The members play a central role in the growth and development of our network. The first institution to take the stage is the Department of Government at Uppsala University, represented by Emma Elfversson.

New Op-Ed: Reduced research aid harms Sweden

A recent op-ed criticizes the reduction of Swedish research aid. Originally published in Global Bar Magazine, Rolf Carlman (former director at Sida) argues that the government’s cuts undermine both Sweden’s long-term role in international research cooperation and the country’s own capacity for development research.