Global Aid Rethink

In the final episode of Global Aid Rethink, hosts Ivica Petrikova (Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London) and Melita Lazell (Associate Professor in Political Economy and Development at the University of Portsmouth) engage in a comprehensive discussion on the future of aid.With global aid funding at its lowest in decades and the Sustainable Development Goals significantly off-track, this concluding episode synthesises insights from across the series, reflecting on the profound shifts in the global aid landscape. It examines the implications of recent aid cuts in the UK and US, the evolving geopolitical context, and the challenges of rebuilding the moral and political case for international assistance.Joining Ivica and Melita for this concluding conversation is Dr. Jack Taggart, a researcher in critical approaches to international political economy, the politics of international development, and the dynamics of global governance, based at Queen's University Belfast. They explore the historical precedents for aid retrenchment and revival, the rise of national self-interest and financialisation in aid agendas, and the potential for a more fragmented, unilateral future for aid provision. The discussion also addresses the barriers to implementing more effective, recipient-owned development approaches and the crucial need for improved public communication regarding aid's impact and purpose.Global Aid Rethink publishes fortnightly, on Tuesdays, from 22nd April 2025 to 1st July.  Read the transcript hereThis is a Research Podcasts production.Episode credits:Presenters: Ivica Petrikova, Royal Holloway, University of London and Melita Lazell, Portsmouth UniversityGuests: Jack TaggartProducer: Catherine McDonald, Research PodcastsMusic: MFCC via PixabayArtwork and Audiograms: Krissie Brighty-Glover and Lauren White, Research PodcastsThis podcast was generously funded by the ESRC-funded Royal Holloway Social Science Impact Accelerator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the fourth episode of Global Aid Rethink, hosts Ivica Petrikova (Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London) and Melita Lazell (Associate Professor in Political Economy and Development at the University of Portsmouth) turn their attention to a critical and often overlooked dimension of international assistance: aid as extraction.As global aid funding remains at its lowest in decades and the Sustainable Development Goals continue to be significantly off-track, this episode interrogates the increasing financialisation of aid. It explores whether the growing reliance on private sector tools, markets, and financial logic in delivering international development assistance leads to a process where capital or resources are extracted from communities in the Global South, rather than genuinely fostering sustainable development.Joining Ivica and Melita for this in-depth discussion is Professor Emma Mawdsley, Head of the Department of Geography at the University of Cambridge and an expert in the politics of global development. They delve into real-world examples of financialised aid, examining the role of development finance institutions like British International Investment (BII), and questioning whether this trend prioritises profit generation over the needs of the most vulnerable. The conversation also addresses the lack of transparency, the concentration of investments in middle-income countries, and the broader implications of aid being subordinated to geopolitical logics.Global Aid Rethink publishes fortnightly, on Tuesdays, from 22nd April 2025 to 1st July.  Read the transcript hereThis is a Research Podcasts production.Episode credits:Presenters: Ivica Petrikova, Royal Holloway, University of London and Melita Lazell, Portsmouth UniversityGuests: Professor Emma MawdsleyProducer: Catherine McDonald, Research PodcastsMusic: MFCC via PixabayArtwork and Audiograms: Krissie Brighty-Glover and Lauren White, Research PodcastsThis podcast was generously funded by the ESRC-funded Royal Holloway Social Science Impact Accelerator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second episode of Global Aid Rethink, hosts Ivica Petrikova (Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London) and Melita Lazell (Associate Professor in Political Economy and Development at the University of Portsmouth) lead a crucial discussion on the complex concept of aid as soft power.As global aid funding reaches historic lows and the Sustainable Development Goals face significant setbacks, the role and motivations behind international assistance are under intense scrutiny. This episode delves into how aid is increasingly deployed not merely for humanitarian or developmental purposes, but also as a strategic tool to exert influence and achieve foreign policy objectives.Joining Ivica and Melita to unpack this intricate dynamic are Stephen Brown, Professor at the School of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa (also affiliated with the School of International Development and Global Studies), and Rose Worden, a Senior Analyst and Public Affairs and Policy Advisor. They explore the distinctions between soft and hard power, examining the ways in which aid can be used to persuade rather than coerce, and the implications for recipient nations and the broader global aid landscape.Global Aid Rethink publishes fortnightly, on Tuesdays, from 22nd April 2025 to 1st July.  Read the transcript hereThis is a Research Podcasts production. Episode credits:Presenters: Ivica Petrikova, Royal Holloway, University of London and Melita Lazell, Portsmouth UniversityGuests: Professor Stephen Brown and Rose Worden Producer: Catherine McDonald, Research PodcastsMusic: MFCC via PixabayArtwork and Audiograms: Krissie Brighty-Glover and Lauren White, Research PodcastsThis podcast was generously funded by the ESRC-funded Royal Holloway Social Science Impact Accelerator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Global Aid Rethink aims to rethink the current global aid landscape; politically, historically and ideologically.  With funding for development aid at its lowest for decades and the sustainable development goals related to aid significantly off-track, the question of whether we should give aid at all remains divisive as ever – and this podcast is not afraid to ask the difficult questions. Hosted by Ivica Petrikova, an Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations at Royal Holloway, University of London, and Melita Lazell, Associate Professor in Political Economy and Development at the University of Portsmouth, delivers in-depth conversations with policymakers, practitioners and academics.Key themes up for discussion in the series include recent developments in the UK and US, aid as soft power, as neocolonialism, as extraction and in practice.Global Aid Rethink publishes fortnightly, on Tuesdays, from 22nd April 2025 to 1st July.  Read the transcript hereThis is a Research Podcasts production. This podcast was generously funded by the ESRC-funded Royal Holloway Social Science Impact Accelerator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.