2^nd INTERNATIONAL CCONFERENCE OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

                                                                              CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

                                                                                   23^rd – 24^th November 2022

                                                         Venue: University of Dar es Salaam, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Campus

The teaching of and research in Development Studies (DS) at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) in Tanzania, formally commenced in the late 1960s. Similar programmes were adopted later by other tertiary institutions in the country. The primary objective of introducing a multi and inter-disciplinary program of development studies was to generate and impart knowledge to undergraduate and later graduate students about development problems and the challenges of constructing a socialist society, by deploying Marxist-inspired tools of analysis. The curriculum policy rationale was influenced by the East-West political rivalry and the Cold War ideological struggles and by Tanzania’s pursuit of the policy of non-alignment and the implementation of its homegrown policy of Socialism and Self-Reliance. At the implementation stage, variously integrated DS modules were designed and offered in the first two-year compulsory undergraduate cycle. Besides the acquisition of knowledge qua knowledge, of developing critical thinking skills in analysing development issues, the programme sought also to inculcate the values of civic competence and socialist consciousness among the Tanzanian youth.

With the disintegration of the global communist system and the seemingly miraculous capitalist development experiences of countries in East Asia, particularly the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from the early 1980s, the original philosophical and policy rationales for institutionalising the teaching of and research in DS in Tanzania have also partly been called into question. The philosophical scepticism regarding the earlier formulations of what constituted socialist versus capitalist development models has received impetus from the fact that the seemingly miraculous capitalist development experiences of countries in East Asia have taken place without completely or even partially, eliminating poverty, hunger, and powerlessness. Furthermore, this scepticism has been occasioned by the official embrace of neo-liberal policy prescriptions in Tanzania. Going through the course outlines of DS programmes and graduate dissertations in the country, the neo-liberal thought and development practices seem to have been enthusiastically embraced lock, stock and barrel. The various courses offered, research activities undertaken and published, and development policy interventions are variably based on the belief that the power of the free markets can fix African economic and social development problems.

In 2023, the Institute of Development Studies (IDS-UDSM will celebrate its 50th anniversary. To commemorate such a milestone, the IDS in collaboration with the Tanzania Development Studies Association (TDSA) and its members – University of Dodoma, Mzumbe University, Muhimbili University of  Health and Allied Sciences, and Sokoine University of Agriculture have organised the 2^nd International Conference of Development Studies (ICDS2022) to reflect on teaching and research and lay a vision for the next 50 years. This conference builds on the 1^st Conference of Development Studies held in 2019, whose debates and discussions aimed at making DS vibrant in understanding and addressing development issues, particularly in the global south. The DS courses and research currently being pursued at the tertiary level of education were not the original policy rationale and intent for establishing this field of study in Tanzania. Obviously, time has changed, development challenges have changed, and key actors have equally changed. There is an urgent and imperative need, to re-imagine the new rationale for the continued intellectual legitimacy of the field. There is also a need to seek and uncover practical development alternatives and strategies for emancipatory purposes. The theme of the Conference is “Rethinking the Future of Development Studies: Lessons from Teaching, Research, and Practice”. The IDS, therefore, welcomes abstracts from scholars, members of civil society, policymakers, and graduate students on the following sub-themes:

1. Teaching and Researching Development Studies Over the Past 50 Years: Achievements, Relevance and Challenges
2. Decolonizing Development Studies
3. Gender, Culture, and Development
4. Environment, Climate Change and Development
5. Rural and Urban Development
6. Social Services Delivery and Development
7. Science, Technology, and Industrialisation
8. Ethics, Governance and Development
9. The State, Civil Society and the Market
10. North-South and South-South Relations
11. Social Protection and Poverty Reduction

Keynote Speaker: Prof. Marjorie Mbilinyi (Professor of DS)

Target audience: Researchers, academics, members of civil society, policymakers and development practitioners, and graduate students.

Conference Modality: This is a hybrid conference; one can choose either to participate in PERSON or ONLINE. For online participation, the link will be shared in early November 2022.

Registration: Registration for this conference is FREE. However, you are kindly requested to cover the travel and subsistence costs.

COVID-19 Protocols: The conference will adhere to COVID-19 protocols as updated from time to time by the Tanzania Ministry of Health. Visit the link https://www.moh.go.tz/en/students

Accommodation: There are different accommodation options in Dar es Salaam. The Organising Committee will only assist participants on hotel reservation (upon request) in Dar es Salaam. International participants are advised to book hotels in advance.  

Travel: The University of Dar es Salaam is located 16 km from Julius Nyerere International Airport. Tax services to all parts of Dar es Salaam are available at the airport. The participants are advised to inform the Organizing Committee, in advance, of their arrival and departure dates for logistic purposes

Submission guidelines:

1. An abstract with a maximum of 300 words to be submitted online through this link (Click here) indicating keywords, title, author(s) name(s), institutional affiliation, contact details such as email and phone number, and related sub-theme.
2. Full papers (single-spaced pages, Times New Roman, font 12), including the title, tables, figures, appendices, references, and other illustrative materials) are to be submitted online through the submission link (Click here)
3. Reference and citations should follow American Psychological Association (APA) style.
4. The manuscript/paper should not exceed 4000 words (excluding Tables, figures, and References). 
5. Full papers are to be edited by a professional editor before submission, otherwise, will not be accepted.

Timeline

1. Abstracts Submission Deadline: 5^th August 2022
2. Feedback on Abstracts: 7^th August 2022
3. Full Manuscript Submission Deadline: 7^th October 2022
4. Conference Dates: 23^rd - 24^th November 2022

Conference outputs: Presented papers will be organized into conference proceedings and book chapters. Selected papers will be published as journal articles in the special issue of the Tanzanian Journal of Development Studies (TJDS).

Contacts

Conference Email: icdsconference@udsm.ac.tz

Contact Persons: Omary Thabit (omarymndeme@gmail.com)

                            Leonce Mujwauzi (mujwaleonce@yahoo.com)

Organizing Committee