New book: Gambling on Development

Stefan Dercon is a Professor of Economic Policy and Director of the Centre for the Study of African Economies at the University of Oxford. His latest book “Gambling on Development: Why some countries win and others lose”, published by Hurst Publishers, will be discussed during this dialogue.

The book draws on his academic research and his policy experience across three decades and 40-odd countries, exploring why some countries have managed to settle on elite bargains favouring growth and development and others did not.

Agenda 8 June

13.00 Welcome remarks

• Janet Vähämäki, Director of SweDev and Development and Aid Policy team leader at SEI

13.05 Introduction

• George Marbuah, Research Fellow, SEI

13.10 Keynote: Gambling on Development: Why some countries win and others lose

• Stefan Dercon, Professor of Economic Policy; Director of the Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford

13.40 Audience questions to the keynote speaker, moderated by

• George Marbuah, Research Fellow, SEI
• Ylva Rylander, Communications Officer, SEI for SweDev

13.55 Concluding remarks

About Stefan Dercon

Stefan Dercon is Professor of Economic Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government and the Economics Department at the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of Jesus College. He is also Director of the Centre for the Study of African Economies. Professor Dercon combines his academic career with work as a policy advisor, providing strategic economic and development advice, and promoting the use of evidence in decision making.

Between 2011 and 2017, he was Chief Economist of the Department of International Development (DFID), the government department in charge with the UK’s aid policy and spending. Since 2020, he has been the Development Policy Advisor to successive Foreign Secretaries at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Dialogues on development research

The dialogue series on development research is organized by the Swedish Development Research Network (SweDev) and SEI’s Development and Aid Policy Team.

The aim of the dialogues on development research is to spread findings of development research by creating a learning space where researchers can share their work in an informal and easily accessed setting. The dialogue series are targeting researchers, practitioners and policymakers within the development research area.