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.”
Albert Sanghoon Park works on the intersection between social science and public policy. His latest project examines resilience policy in sustainable development. Placing national approaches to resilience policy in comparative perspective, it explores new strategies or paths for multilateral policy coordination. In bringing together perspectives across the Global North and Global South, it sheds light on deeper political and epistemic challenges faced in building resilience for sustainable development and effective climate action.
This new project on resilience policy in sustainable development builds on doctoral work on the politics of knowledge production. Viewed through historical linkages between development studies and development policy, this parallel research strand illustrates unexpected ways in which 'ideas matter'. Emphasising the political role of universities, this multidisciplinary intellectual history is partly enabled by Albert's own background. Prior to joining ODID, Albert taught at the Department of Politics and International Studies, Centre of Development Studies at the University of Cambridge. In addition to a MPhil, PhD (Cambridge) in Development Studies, Albert holds a BSc (MIT) in Materials Science and Engineering. An advocate of grounded theory and practical engagement, Albert has written on development policy and knowledge production for ASEAN, the UN, and the WTO. Prior to academia, he worked for five years in international trade, manufacturing, and investments.
Albert teaches on the ‘Core Course’, ‘History and Politics Foundation’, and ‘Climate Questions from the Global South’ for the MPhil in Development Studies.
He has previously taught and convened courses on ‘Education and Development’, as well as ‘Institutions and Development’.
Resilience policy; sustainable development; development cooperation,; politics of knowledge production; history of science; global history; global IR; global governance; multilateralism; regional and international organisations