Since the start in 2002 the Development Research Day has been organised annually by a department at Lund University.  This year the Development Research Day is organised by Lund university centre for Sustainability studies (LUCSUS) and the theme is: Translational Development Research. 

Translational science deals with the dilemma between basic research and the practical application of scientific results. It has a long tradition in medical sciences, where it is defined as research that applies findings from basic science to enhance human health and well-being. With increasing demands from society at large and funding agencies in particular for research to be “useful” and have “societal impact”, can we learn anything from a decade^*of translational science in medicine? In 2010, the British Department for International Development (DFID) introduced the “Theory of Change” as a method for promoting societal impacts from research, and we can see how that has inspired agencies in Sweden and the EU to promote similar agendas. 

In the morning session of the Development Research Day 2019 we will discuss these issues with the help of invited scholars. The afternoon session is as usually devoted to presentations by researchers at Lund University. We particularly encourage early career researchers and MSc students to present their research. 

^*The first journal dedicated to translational science, The American Journal of Translational Research, started in 2009.

Programme: 

09:00 – 09:15      Welcome and introduction to translational development research, Lennart Olsson, LUCSUS

09:15 – 09:35      Perils and potentials when translating basic science to societal impacts – a theoretical perspective. Johannes Persson, Department of Theoretical Philosophy, Lund University

09:35 – 10:15      Implications of using “Theory of Change” in development research. Professor Tim Forsyth, London School of Economics and Political Science

10:15 – 10:45     Coffee and tea

10:45 – 11:15     Video activism as a political tool,
                           Joshka Wessels, Malmö University, 
                           Video activism as a pedagogic tool,
                           Sara Gabrielsson, LUCSUS

11:15 – 11:30      Participatory research in conflict zones, 
                          Torsten Krause, LUCSUS

11:30 – 12:20     Discussion with panel

12:20 – 12:35     Presentation of the winner of the 2019 Hydén Prize

12:35 – 13:15     Lunch is served

13:15 – 15:30     Parallel sessions 

15:30 – 16:00     Wrapping up – reflections on Translational Development Research

Sign up for the LU Development Research Day 2019