The department is a lively community that is recognised internationally as one of the top centres for research and teaching in development studies.

Our courses offer excellent training for a career in international development or for advanced study, and attract students of the highest calibre from across the world.
“I had waited for 10 years before my dream to study in Oxford became a reality and the experience was truly beyond expectation”
Our students are taught to develop as critical and independent thinkers and when they leave us they are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to bring about real change.
“My time at Oxford strengthened my critical analysis and provided me with a unique interdisciplinary grounding in history, politics and economics that has equipped me well in dealing with public policy issues and program development strategy.”
Our courses offer excellent training for a career in international development or for advanced study, and attract students of the highest calibre from across the world.
“I had waited for 10 years before my dream to study in Oxford became a reality and the experience was truly beyond expectation”
Our courses offer excellent training for a career in international development or for advanced study, and attract students of the highest calibre from across the world.
“I had waited for 10 years before my dream to study in Oxford became a reality and the experience was truly beyond expectation”
Our students are taught to develop as critical and independent thinkers and when they leave us they are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to bring about real change.
“My time at Oxford strengthened my critical analysis and provided me with a unique interdisciplinary grounding in history, politics and economics that has equipped me well in dealing with public policy issues and program development strategy.”
Our students are taught to develop as critical and independent thinkers and when they leave us they are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to bring about real change.
“My time at Oxford strengthened my critical analysis and provided me with a unique interdisciplinary grounding in history, politics and economics that has equipped me well in dealing with public policy issues and program development strategy.”
A new article by Associate Professor Joerg Friedrichs examines a range of international relations theories to discover which can help explain the popularity of China in the Middle East and Africa.
China enjoys considerable popularity in the regions, not only among elites but also at street level; all Middle Eastern and African regimes are on friendly terms with Beijing and every year, opinion polls confirm China’s popularity among ordinary people
This article draws on three broad international relations theories – realism, international political economy (IPE) and constructivism – to explain this general pattern, as well as intra- and interregional variation.
It finds that every approach has something to contribute, but IPE more so than realism. Constructivist theories are particularly useful in explaining China’s popularity in the Middle East and Africa.
Joerg Friedrichs (2019) 'Explaining China’s popularity in the Middle East and Africa', Third World Quarterly, DOI: 10.1080/01436597.2019.1592670