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.”
Frances Cossar came to ODID after several years undertaking policy research within international organisations.
She worked with the Chief Economist office at the World Bank on a multi-country research project to investigate the constraints and opportunities for manufacturing development in Sub-Saharan Africa. She then spent several years supporting the Ghana country program of the International Food Policy Research Institute. As a result of that work, her research interests have evolved to focus on agricultural development and the role technology plays in changing farming systems.
She also spent two years supporting budget reforms in the Ministry of Finance, Government of Rwanda, as an ODI Fellow.
She holds a BSc Mathematics and Economics from the London School of Economics, and an MSc Economics with reference to Africa from the School of Oriental and African Studies.
Frances has been teaching assistant in 2015/16 for Quantitative Methods (for the Msc in Global Governance and Diplomacy) and Microeconomic Foundations (for the MPhil in Development Studies).
Agriculture; technology adoption; economic growth; private sector development; rural institutions.