Launch of the new Centre for the Study of Global Development

A pair of young persons hands tends to a seedling, in a pile of earth

The Centre for the Study of Global Development logo The Faculty of WELS has launched an exciting new research centre, which will aim to advance human wellbeing through global development research. The Centre for the Study of Global Development (CSGD) will support researchers, practitioners, thought leaders and policy makers to share knowledge and research evidence.

The Centre’s five hubs – health and wellbeing; language and society; learners and learning; professional learning and technology; and youth and transitions will house research projects that aim to improve the lives of disadvantaged and marginalised groups across the world.

CSGD Director and Professor of International Education and Development, Kwame Akyeampong, hosted the launch event, which was attended by people from around the globe, including Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

Keynote speaker Professor Ernest Aryeetey, Secretary-General of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), a network of 15 of Africa’s flagship universities, spoke on the need for equitable research partnerships in addressing today’s global challenges, whilst Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, recorded a special message for the Centre:

Professor Akyeampong added:
“CSGD’s vision is based on The Open University’s Open Learning philosophy – using knowledge from research to democratise education, health, and wellbeing, and builds on the OU’s commitment to openness, inclusion, diversification of ideas and ways of working.

“CSGD will invest in the nurturing of early career researchers focusing on global development. We believe that strong and equitable research partnerships are the key to finding effective solutions to global development challenges.”

Find out more about the Centre for the Study of Global Development, please visit: https://wels.open.ac.uk/research/centre-study-global-development