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.”
This paper reviews the experience of two West African countries in terms of horizontal inequalities and conflict. It shows that in many respects Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire are similar - in economic structure, ethnic composition and horizontal inequalities. Both countries have severe socio-economic horizontal inequalities, between the North and the South. Yet Côte d'Ivoire experienced a major North-South civil war from 2002 -2007 while Ghana avoided any major national conflict. This paper reviews the reasons for this difference. It provides evidence showing that while the two countries had similar socio-economic inequalities, Ghana was consistently politically inclusive, and consciously respected different cultures and religions. Côte d’Ivoire also followed an inclusive policy until the death of Houphouët-Boigny but subsequently Northerners were excluded politically, and culturally. These political and cultural Horizontal Inequalities are argued to be the main factors behind the outbreak of violent conflict.