Tong Alaap Ep 16 | Development Studies in Uncertain Times

In this episode of Tong Alaap, Imran Matin (Executive Director, BIGD) moderates a conversation with Selim Jahan (Professorial Fellow, BIGD) and Siddiqur Rahman Osmani (Professor, Ulster University) on the future of development studies amid global uncertainty. The discussion touches on whether the field faces a crisis of knowledge or practice, along with wider pressures such as globalization, inequality, and shrinking funding spaces. The speakers consider how the field must adapt through changes in curriculum, stronger technical and practical skills, and a renewed focus on capacity building and relevance in a rapidly changing world. Chapters: 0:00 – Highlights 1:53 – Is Development Studies in Crisis or the Practice? 5:30 – Not a Crisis of Knowledge but How to Apply It 13:29 – Adapting Knowledge to Changing Times 19:49 – Free Markets, Globalization, and Challenges to Democracy 27:20 – Evolving Global Crises 33:58 – Looking Forward: Reforming the UN 41:52 – Reshaping the Curriculum 50:15 – Employability and Development Studies of Today 55:31 – Skills for the Future