Future Leaders Programme 7: African Economic Development, Producing Real Change

The Development Leadership Dialogue (DLD) at SOAS University of London, co-directed by Ha-Joon Chang, Christopher Cramer, and Jonathan Di John, announces its seventh Future Leaders Programme (FLP), to be held 10-14 February 2025 in London.

DLD promotes dialogue and mutual learning between the key actors that drive economic and social development – governments, private firms, civil society organizations, international organizations, trade unions, academia, and others – and that often operate in separate spheres, understanding each other poorly, even seeing each other as adversaries. 

The FLP is one of the key programmes of DLD, bringing together a small number of people who will be in leadership positions in the next five to ten years in different sectors of the development community for a workshop of lectures, discussion sessions, and debates, led by speakers with a wealth of senior experience in government, international organizations, and academia.

African economies have experienced relatively slow growth in recent years, along with tight fiscal constraints, and rising external indebtedness. Poverty reduction has slowed down and countries across the continent are pressured by the needs of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Some governments (e.g. in Kenya and Nigeria and Ethiopia) have responded with quite dramatic economic reforms, though these have been politically highly contentious, and they have reminded some observers of the enduring problems with IMF/World Bank reform programmes. 

This workshop will discuss the strategic options for African governments to address these challenges while building the productive capabilities required for structural change and generating rapidly growing employment opportunities. It goes beyond just pointing to financing gaps and it aims to emphasise the possible rather than merely underlining the depth of difficulties faced. 

Specific issues addressed will include: recent African economic performance in a global context; the importance and implications of the balance of payments constraint on growth and development; African capital in ‘global offshore’; debt management debates; development banks in Africa; macroeconomics and political economy of policy reform; production strategy issues including industrial policy, integrating green transition into productive strategies, and expanding the terrain of industrial policy to high value agriculture; and asking what role the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) may be able to play in African development strategies. 

We have invited the following lecturers (in alphabetical order of surname): Adeyemi Dipeolu, Christina Laskaridis, Arkebe Oqubay, Carlos Oya, John Sender, Ricardo Soares de Oliveira, Zainab Usman, among others and as well as DLD Co-Directors Ha-Joon Chang, Christopher Cramer, and Jonathan Di John.

Applications are welcome from people from different sectors – governments, the corporate sector, civil society, international organizations, trade unions, etc. Applicants should complete the following online application form, uploading a CV and a cover letter explaining their work and their view on the strategic options for African countries to address current challenges while building the productive capabilities required for structural change. They should also include the details of at least one referee whom we may contact, if required.

Applicants are normally expected to have at least ten years’ experience in their fields. If they are from academia, they should provide evidence that they have worked with development practitioners – in national governments, international organisations, the private sector, or CSOs.

The fee for the course is £3000, however we do not want finances to be a barrier to the participation of qualified applicants. Full scholarships are available covering the fees as well as travel, accommodation and subsistence in London and are awarded in consideration of the applicant’s personal circumstances.  Partial scholarships (covering the fee only) are also available. Tick relevant option on the application portal

The deadline for application is Friday, 6^th December 2024.

Header Image credit: CHUTTERSNAP via Unsplash.

Future Leaders Programme (FLP) workshops bring together a small number of people who are expected to be in senior leadership positions in the coming years for a workshop involving lectures, discussion sessions, and debates.

Each FLP workshop has a key theme and/or regional focus and is led by presenters with a wealth of senior experience in government, academia, the private sector, civil society, and international organisations.