Course summary

Undertake an in-depth investigation of one of the defining questions of our age – how can societies pursue equitable growth and human security in the context of global power imbalances, violent conflicts, and fragile governance? Centering on the development-security nexus, this programme equips you to trace the links and tensions between efforts to alleviate poverty, build peace and promote stability – showing how choices made in one sphere reverberate across the other. Explore contemporary conflicts and the international community’s responses, asking why wars begin and end, how different actors attempt conflict prevention and peacebuilding, and what happens when security concerns dominate development agendas through core teaching. Situate these empirical questions within wider theoretical debates in development and security studies, critically assessing liberal, critical and post-colonial perspectives, as well as controversies surrounding global governance, humanitarian intervention, and aid conditionality. Interrogate key texts, evaluate evidence, and develop your own positions on the development-security nexus. Learn from up-to-date case studies that connect theory to practice. Whether analysing post-conflict reconstruction, livelihood strategies in fragile states or the securitisation of public health, you will apply conceptual tools to real-world dilemmas and refine the analytical skills valued by governments, international organisations, NGOs and research institutes. Be challenged and inspired by internationally recognised scholars whose expertise keeps classroom discussions at the forefront of current debates. Workshops, guest lectures and student-led seminars foster a diverse, collaborative community in which rigorous analysis and respectful dialogue go hand in hand. Benefit from one-to-one supervision to design and execute a research project that demonstrates your ability to gather and interpret data, apply theory, and communicate findings to the highest academic standard. Gain the ability to uncover the assumptions that underpin development and security interventions, trace the links and tensions between them, and articulate evidence-based recommendations for policy and practice. Graduate prepared for careers in diplomacy, humanitarian work, policy analysis, advocacy or doctoral research, and equipped to engage critically and constructively with the challenge of fostering both development and security in a rapidly changing world.