Progressing international development: why research and why now?

UKCDR Annual Stakeholder Event 2024: In Discussion with Ehsan Masood

* This event was postponed in observation of the UK pre-election period. It will now take place on 12 September 2024.

Please note this is an in-person event with no option for virtual attendance.

More than halfway to 2030, progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has either halted or regressed. With 30% of targets seeing little to no progress, many are asking: what next? 

In a contested and volatile world, science, research and evidence are needed more than ever as a shared language for cooperation. The converging crises of today – conflict, natural disasters, the burden of disease and extreme poverty – require effective and equitable solutions at scale to secure a sustainable tomorrow. While research for development remains a tool of transformative potential, Official Development Assistance (ODA) budgets have shrunk in recent years, pulling into question the future of international development and the research that drives it. In this challenging fiscal context and in light of a changing UK political landscape, we must understand why research investment matters, and why now. 

Join the UK Collaborative for Development Research (UKCDR) for an evening of informative, thought-provoking dialogue on why we need research investment to progress international development goals. Attendees will hear from an expert panel including speakers from development institutes, academies and funders, moderated by Ehsan Masood, Nature’s Bureau Chief for Editorials, Africa and the Middle East. Guests will have the opportunity to partake in a networking session and research showcase, demonstrating the wide-reaching impact of research for development across disciplines and geographies. 

This event is open to policymakers, parliamentarians, researchers, students, international development professionals, and enthusiasts. To attend this special Annual Stakeholder Event, register for free today. 

Panel information 

• Moderator: Ehsan Masood – Bureau Chief for Editorials, Africa and the Middle East, Nature 
• Panelist: Dr Joanes Atela, Founder and Executive Director, Africa Research and Impact Network 
• Panelist: Professor Charlotte Watts – Chief Scientific Advisor, FCDO 
• Panelist: Dr Jaideep Gupte – Director of Research, Strategy and Innovation, Arts & Humanities Research Council 
• Panelist: Professor Melissa Leach – Executive Director, Cambridge Conservation Initiative and Interim Chair of the Strategic Coherence in ODA-funded Research Board 

Event agenda