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On March 25 2025, International Development Studies Prof. Dr. Kei Otsuki will hold her inaugural lecture titled Frontiers of Development. With recent global developments of conflict and war, and the termination of USAID, international development has come under pressure. We interviewed her about the importance of International Development Studies and the future of the field.

Why is the field of International Development Studies important, especially in this political climate?

“History tells us that if we close our borders, both in practice and thinking, wars happen. Openness of borders and internationalisation of every field is a way to keep ourselves safe. Not just ideologically, but also practically. If we keep ourselves open and connected with people from different cultures and contexts, we stay understood, understanding, and safe. International Development Studies have always been about promoting open borders between nations, and prospering together. Prospering can’t be at the cost of other people.”

Opening borders doesn’t mean countries can invade one another, it is about creating a joint agenda.

“At the moment, this is vitally important, especially when Western governments want to close the borders for, to me, short sighted reasons. There is a call to defend, defend, defend, but that will not solve problems in the long run. Students of International Development Studies gain a long-term vision about how to keep ourselves and our lives peaceful and safe.

Opening borders doesn’t mean countries can invade one another, it is about creating a joint agenda. International Development Studies is about co-development, not about what one country imposes on another country.

On a more positive note, it is also fun to get to know other people, speak other languages, and learn about different cultures. I chose this field because other ways of doing things and seeing the world never fail to surprise me; I want other people to experience that too.”

There’s been some controversy around International Development Studies, due to its links to colonialism and white saviourism. What are your thoughts?

“The name in itself is a bit old-fashioned, and some organisations changed it to Global Development, or they emphasized ‘change’. To me, there is a clear history to international development and internationalisation after the world wars. Because of that I would argue to stick to the original idea of international development, which was to unite nations and create a joint agenda if we want to prevent a third world war.”

The future of International Development Studies is critical understanding of experiences.

“International Development Studies used to be mainly US-led and Western-oriented, but it has diversified its actors and leaders throughout its long history. Knowing its history, we have to expand the possibilities for different countries to take lead, and define what International Development Studies means together.”

What is the future of International Development Studies?

“There was an elitism that made international development unpopular, and there have always been critiques against its colonial history and dividing counties in ‘developed’ and ‘underdeveloped’. The field never overcame that portrayal. We are now seeing backlash from two sides: those who want to decolonize international development see it as a colonial practice, and those who want to close the world’s borders see it as useless.

I still think the field as it is currently is relevant and important. The future of International Development Studies is critical understanding of experiences. We need to insist that openness is important, to co-manage international aid. What we want to achieve is co-learning and co-generation of agendas, equal partnerships, and sharing and learning from each other. The important step towards the future is pushing for equality, so no-one is alienated.”