The purpose of DSAA is to promote critical inquiry, reflection, research, teaching and the value of Development Studies in Australia. The DSAA seeks to facilitate collaborations and engagement within and beyond the academy.

Development Studies Association of Australia (DSAA) is committed to engaging the breadth of the dynamic field of development from the global through to regional, national, and local levels.

DSAA is committed to engaging the historical roots and legacies of development for contemporary everyday lived experiences of inequality and poverty, and practices of discrimination based on intersectionalities, such as race, class, gender, sexuality and so on. In this sense, we are also keen to explore how connected histories of affluence and deprivation can serve to challenge the dominant narratives of development.

DSAA supports the work of researchers seeking solutions to ongoing problems of development including poverty, inequality, injustice and marginalisation. We encourage collaboration between academia, the development sector, activist organisations, community groups, among others, and provides a platform for mutual learning and debate. DSAA recognises that Development Studies is a field with dynamic boundaries, and welcomes engagement with all stakeholders interested in processes of development.

Aims and Objectives

Research

  • Generate and cultivate knowledges in the field of Development Studies through research and research training
  • Achieve recognition of Development Studies as a distinct field of study and research in Australia
  • Facilitate scholarly co-operation and collaboration contributing to the democratisation of knowledge about development through purposeful engagement with marginalised scholars, and perspectives
  • Promote associational life among scholars and researchers in Australia across all disciplines conducting research for or about development

Teaching

  • Promote and support the academic study and teaching of Development Studies in Australia
  • Build cross-institutional collaboration in Development Studies teaching and learning

Engagement

  • Promote dialogue and create space for debate around research and thinking for and about development, as well as provide avenues for the wide dissemination of research findings through the organisation of, for example, conferences, workshops, journals, working papers and other initiatives
  • Be a hub for expertise to governments, development agencies, the private sector, media and civil society organisations regarding issues in development around the world
  • Promote a voice and enhance the presence of Australian Development Studies in relevant national and international forums
  • Facilitate dialogue between academia, policy and practice