DSA supports a number of study groups where researchers, teachers, students and people working in development come together from across disciplines to work on specific themes and questions relevant to development studies.

At DSA2025, the following study groups are convening panels. Find out more about the conference and submit a paper here.

Arts-based methods are becoming increasingly popular in social sciences and humanities research, including development studies. This roundtable will provide space to showcase various arts-based methods in religions and development research, and to discuss challenges and opportunities in this area.

A roundtable convened by Jennifer Philippa Eggert, National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and Emma Tomalin, University of Leeds of the Religions and Development Study Group. 

This panel aims to provide a platform for critical discussion and reflection on the third sector’s barriers, challenges and responses to increasingly polarised ideological and material conflicts. It aims to advance understandings of the sector grounded in solidarity, antiracism, and decolonisation.

A panel convened by Ibrahim Natil, Dublin City University and Emanuela Girei, Liverpool John Moores University from the NGOs in development Study Group. 

In an uncertain world, recurrent crises hit the poor the most. How do these uncertainties affect marginalised communities? How do they respond – individually and collectively – to these crises? What are the implications of these uncertainties on poverty dynamics at global, national and local levels?

A panel convened by Solava Ibrahim, Anglia Ruskin University and Vidya Diwakar, IDS of the Poverty Dynamics and Multidimensional Poverty Study Group. 

The European Association of Development Research and Training (EADI), celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024/25. This roundtable reflects on the current state of Development Studies and discusses and launches a special issue of papers. The panel is hybrid.

A roundtable convened by Andy Sumner, King’s College London and Pritish Behuria, The University of Manchester of the Politics and Political Economy Study Group. 

There is a crisis of commitment to tackling climate change, with a trust deficit in multilateralism in climate-linked development aid. Through a decolonisation lens, the panel will offer perspectives on potentials for creating a broad coalition of the most-affected across the global south and north.

A panel convened by Pooja Jain-Grégoire, Sciences Po Paris and Peter Taylor, Institute of Development Studies, of the Decolonising Development Study Group. 

The DSA’s Urbanisation and Development Study Group calls for papers discussing urban informality as a site where we can possibly find the most acute manifestations of and the most disruptive responses to the current ‘polycrisis’.

A panel convened by Martina Manara, University College London UCL Graeme Young, University of Glasgow and Alice Sverdlik, The University of Manchester from the Urbanisation and Development Study Group. 

This panel looks at justice issues involved in the climate and ecological crisis and the global efforts to deal with them.

A panel convened by Ajmal Khan AT, Shiv Nadar University and Nikas Kindo, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, from the Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change Study Group. 

This panel explores Africa’s unique resilience strategies in managing intersecting crises. Emphasizing local knowledge, digital innovations, and community initiatives. Emphasizing sustainable approaches to stability and development amidst complex environmental, economic, and political challenges.

A panel convened by Felix Danso, National College of Defence Studies, Ghana, one of the group regional committee members (Africa) for the Global South Study Group. 

The Digital Technologies, Data and Development Study Group will be supporting the following panels at DSA2025: