Roundtables

Roundtable: The future of Swedish development cooperation in a changing world

A Roundtable at the Nordic Development Research Conference (NorDev), 22 August 2023 at 16.30-17.30, Uppsala University Main Building, Lecture Hall X

In this roundtable, leading Swedish policymakers and practitioners reflect on and discuss the new directions in Swedish international development cooperation and the new challenges of a changing world. The roundtable focuses on some of the most salient themes and issues in current international development cooperation, such as the turn to geopolitics and nationalism in development cooperation; the shift from aid effectiveness to development effectiveness; the changing roles of state and nonstate actors in development and development finance; and the meaning of national ownership in a turbulent world.

Speakers
Anders Nordström, Ambassador for Global Health at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden.

Angela Muvumba-Sellström, Senior Researcher at the Nordic Africa Institute, Board of Directors of the Life and Peace Institute, and Member of Swedish Women’s Mediation Network.

Patrik Stålgren, Head of Unit, Strategic partnership, innovation, private sector and new methods at Sida.

Josephine Sundqvist, CEO and Secretary General of LM International (Läkarmissionen).

Moderators

Fredrik Söderbaum, Professor of Peace and Development Research, School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg & Chair of the Swedish Development Research Network (SweDev).

Jesper Sundewall, Associate Professor, Global Health Systems, Lund University/University of KwaZulu-Natal & Vice Chair of the Swedish Development Research Network (SweDev).

 The Roundtable is organized by the Swedish Development Research Network (SweDev).

Roundtable: Nordic Development Cooperation Policy: Diverging Like-Mindedness or Joint Action?

‘Nordic exceptionalism’ is a concept often used when referring to similarities in the Nordic countries’ foreign development aid. Main traits in this alleged Nordic Model are generosity in terms of volumes, and focus on poverty reduction, human rights and multilateralism. However, during the 2000s the individual Nordic countries’ development policies have diverged in many respects. In some countries, changes are so significant that we may refer to them as policy paradigm shifts.

This panel aims to discuss differences and similarities in four Nordic countries’ development cooperation policies as well as prospects for Nordic cooperation looking ahead, focusing on aiding reconstruction in Ukraine.
Panellists:

Torbjörn Becker, Director, Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics and chair, Expert Group for Aid Studies (EBA)
Elling Tjönneland, Senior Researcher, Chr. Michelsen Instituttet (CMI), Bergen, Norway
Yuliya Markuts, Head of the Center of Public Finance and Governance, Kyiv School of Economics, Ukraine
Adam Moe Fejerskov, Senior Researcher, Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), Copenhagen, Denmark

Moderator: Jan Pettersson, Managing Director, Expert Group for Aid Studies (EBA)