Welcome to the South African Development Studies Association (SADSA). On 30 September 2011 a founding conference was held at Unisa during which a unanimous decision was taken to establish the Association. The conference was attended by 60 academics from about 11 South African universities. In his opening speech at the conference, the VC and Principal, Prof Mandla Makhanya, emphasised the importance of forming a subject association to promote the interests of the discipline of Development Studies and to act as a clearing house in negotiations with the government and other bodies.
About 60 delegates attended the conference and 30 papers were delivered, many by young academics. On Friday 30 September 2011 the conference decided unanimously to establish the South African Development Studies Association (SADSA). An interim management committee was elected, representing eight South African universities, with Prof Frik de Beer of Unisa as President. The aims of the management committee are, amongst others, to finalise the constitution of SADSA, involve those universities that were not represented in 2011, and arrange a conference in 2012 that will include a number of papers delivered by Development Studies scholars from other African countries.
This website is an opportunity for all to contribute to the debate on how best to build our Association.
The main function of this website is to bring together teachers of Development Studies in South Africa and to encourage them to participate in meaningful discussions about development related issues. We therefore invite people to contribute to the discussions contained in the forums on this website.
This website also provides participants with an opportunity to meet and network with other teachers of Development Studies, to form possible research partnerships, and to learn of those events which may be of interest to them. There is also a page where participants can submit any papers that they may want to present at the 2012 South African Development Studies Association Conference.
