The current state of development research - towards a European perspective?

L'état des savoirs sur le développement
Vers une perspective européenne ?

Paris - 18th - 19th November 2004

Logistics (16.11.04) (logistical information.doc (567 Kb))

Seminar organised by the GEMDEV and the HCCI
Groupement pour l'Etude de la Mondialisation et du développement
www.gemdev.org

In association with EADI
Association européenne des Instituts de recherche et de formation
en matière de développement
www.eadi.org

Contacts GEMDEV:
Vincent GERONIMI, President
Jean-Jacques GABAS, Honorary President
Catherine CHOQUET, General Secretary
Claire MAINGUY, Vice-President

GEMDEV
Centre Malher, 9 rue Malher, 75004 Paris, France
Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 78 33 15 Fax: +33 (0)1 44 78 33 88
gemdev(AT)univ-paris1.fr
www.gemdev.org

The current state of development research - towards a European perspective?

On the occasion of its 20th birthday, the GEMDEV is organising an international conference on the theme of the current state of development research in a European perspective. Ten years after the publication of "the Current State of Development Research" (GEMDEV, C. Choquet et al., Karthala 1993), the GEMDEV now intends to review the evolution of the development research initiated during the past decade. Ten years ago, with regard to the challenges facing the analysis of development, O. Dollfus and E. Le Roy concluded that: "Structural adjustment policies, stagnation and recessions and the disengagement of the state have called into question the "truths" stemming from periods of (higher or lower) growth. As a result, beyond their destabilising effect in the short term, these developments have forced us to change our way of thinking and the "right questions" to ask, even if we are not always able to find the answers" (p. 215).

During the 90s, in an environment where the adjustment policies implemented by the Bretton Woods institutions were challenged, there were many such evolutions. In an attempt to re-legitimise their policies, these institutions have reoriented their discourse and, at least in part, their practices towards the fight against poverty (millennium development goals). As a result, the thematic and temporal horizon of the most "visible" analyses of development has changed considerably.

French analyses have not been immune to these global changes. Whilst continuing to be marked by the considerable history of these institutions, they contribute to the lines of thought unfurling around these new subjects. The institutional themes developing around the questions of governance and partnership, the renewed accent placed on the social sectors and the extension of the temporal horizon in a context of debt management initiatives for the least developed countries represent a platform for both French and European analyses. In geographic terms, French analyses are expanding more and more towards Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Continued European integration is one of the elements of these evolving analyses of development. Confronting various national analyses, practices and discourses questions the possibility of witnessing the emergence of a European doctrine with regard to cooperation in development in the face of the global analyses emanating from international financial institutions (IFI).

The debates will focus on three main themes:

1°) The changes in the fields of development (from the point of view of the main disciplines) and the calling into question and redefinition of the specificities of French thinking towards development in the context of globalisation (emergence of new themes). Thursday 18th November, afternoon session.

2°) Can we define a European vision of development? By 2010, will we be able to refer to a model of European cooperation for development? Friday 19th November, morning session.

3°) In view of the current state of education in development, what is the long-term future for French and European thinking towards development? Who will be the new actors in cooperation for development? Final session, afternoon of Friday 19th November.

Provisional programme

Thursday 18th and Friday 19th November 2004

Thursday 18th November, afternoon: 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.

"The emergence of new lines of thinking in development"

3 papers in reaction to the book "The Current State of Development Research"
- Yves Viltard - GEMDEV - Paris 1, Political Science
- Philippe Hugon - GEMDEV, University of Paris 10, Economics
- Irène Bellier - CNRS LAOIS - Anthropology
Two commentaries: Gerti Hesseling (Centre for African studies, Leiden) and Etienne Le Roy (GEMDEV - LAJP University of Paris 1)

-*-*-*-

Friday 19th November
(Simultaneous French-English translation will be provided for all of the day's activities)
Reception: 8.30 a.m.

Opening 9 a.m.: a representative of the General Office of International Cooperation and Development (DGICD).

Friday 19th November, morning session 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.

In light of the concrete experiences in the selection and emergence of a theme, what might be the conditions for developing a common analysis base for development issues? By 2010, what might emerge as a European doctrine of cooperation for development?
9.30 a.m. - 10.30 p.m.
1) The evolution of a theme or how Europe follows the IFIs:
"The Washington Consensus is dead..." Place for a European doctrine?
Speaker: Simon Maxwell, ODI, London
Commentaries: Vincent Géronimi - GEMDEV
Robrecht Renard, Institute of Development Policy and Management, University of Antwerp.
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
2) Characteristic themes of European Union policy
* "Regional integration in European Union cooperation policy"
Speakers: Jean-Jacques Gabas, GEMDEV, University of Paris 11, and
Claire Mainguy, GEMDEV
Commentary: Bibiane Mbaye*, ENDA Dakar

* "Partnership and political dialogue"
Speaker: Jean Bossuyt, Coordinator of EU-ACP Actors of Partnership Programme for ECDPM, Maastricht
Commentaries: Stefan Brüne, German Overseas Institute, Hamburg
John Igué, University of Benin, Cotonou

Friday 19th November, afternoon session: 2 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

2 p.m. - 3 p.m.: Speech by Jacques Pelletier*, President of the HCCI

3) "France and decentralised cooperation in the European Union"
Speaker: Corinne Balleix, French representation in Brussels
Commentaries: Michèle Leclerc-Olive, GEMDEV, CNRS-CEMS
Ousmane Sy, former Minister for the Territorial Administration of Mali, Centre for Political and Institutional Evaluation in Africa (CEPIA), Bamako.

3.30 p.m. - 5 p.m.

In view of the current state of education in development, what is the long-term future for European thinking towards development? Who will be the new actors in cooperation for development? What are the new forms of debate on development?

1) Education/information/debate at a European level - the experience of Euforic, Jacques Van Laar.
2) The INCO part of Framework Programmes, Denis Despréaux MENESR -DRIC and a representative from the European Commission
3) "Education in the field of development in a selection of countries in the European Union: the current situation", Jean-Jacques Gabas and Vincent Géronimi,
4) Establishing European education: the EADI "Masters", Juhani Koponen, Institute of Development Studies, University of Helsinki, Finland.

(5 p.m. - 5.30 p.m.

Conclusion - summary:

Thomas Lawo, Executive Secretary of the EADI, and
Vincent Géronimi, President of the GEMDEV.

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* To be confirmed