Contested Environments series

Contested Environments is a new weekly discussion group centred on the politics of development and environmental change, running in Michaelmas Term 2026. 

As the climate crisis increasingly reshapes the lives and livelihoods of people in the Global South, and as environmental destruction and dispossession continue unabated in the name of development, such issues have become increasingly relevant to several research projects at ODID. Responding to this upsurge of both urgency and interest, we hope to create a space for researchers to critically engage with the social, political, and economic dimensions of environmental and climate change in the Global South and with each other’s work. 

Each Thursday in Michaelmas Term, we will invite a DPhil or early career researcher to present an ongoing project or paper for feedback and open discussion. Everyone is invited to join - Masters/MPhils, DPhils, post-docs, faculty and others are welcome. Tea/coffee with informal conversation will follow each discussion.

Where: ODID, Seminar Room 1 (ground floor)

When: Thursdays, 4-5 pm 

Week 2: Our first presenter is Matai Muon, a third-year DPhil candidate in International Development. Matai will be presenting a forthcoming paper on the political economy of oil extraction in South Sudan. 

Details of forthcoming events to follow.

Series organisers: Mahika Khosla and Paula Hiemer, with the support of Professor Nikita Sud