We are proud to announce Professor Dzodzi Tsikata as the final recipient of the Distinguished Research Professorship this year. Professor Dzodzi Tsikata will join the Department of Development studies as Research Professor of Development Studies from January 2023.
SOAS previously announced the establishment of five new distinguished research professorships aimed at addressing the global challenges of our time, as framed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We are proud to have Professors Olivette Otele, Ha-Joon Chang, Sanjay Srivastava and Shirin Rai join SOAS alongside Professor Tsikata.
Professor Dzodzi Tsikata’s research and publications are in three broad areas- the gendered political economy of agrarian change, informal labour relations and work conditions, and social policy and social development. She is currently leading two pan-African research projects- the Gender Equitable and Transformative Social Policy for post COVID-19 Africa (GETSPA) and Transregional Research on the Changing Nature of Precarious Work in Africa and the Arab Region.
Professor Tsikata is a leading member of several African and global south research networks- the Agrarian South Network (ASN), the International Development Economics Associates (IDEA) and the African Studies Association of Africa (ASAA). She is also a fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.
She is currently a Research Professor at the University of Ghana where she is working with colleagues on a book on the trajectories of Social Policy in Ghana and on several articles on agrarian change and the future of work in Africa.
In reaction to her appointment as a Professor of Development studies and joining SOAS Professor Dzodzi Tsikata said:
“SOAS represents an interesting vantage point from which to continue my research of the last three decades on questions of Africa’s development. SOAS’s plan to reimagine global partnerships and revitalise its research agenda is precisely the kind of agenda to which I can make a real contribution. I feel energised by the prospect of working with colleagues in Development Studies to produce new knowledge, train a new generation of global leaders and contribute to current debates about the future of development studies.”
Zoe Marriage, Head of the Development studies Department said:
“It is fantastic to have Professor Dzodzi Tsikata joining the Department of Development Studies. Professor Tsikata is a scholar of international stature, and her appointment is particularly significant as she will be bringing a wealth of experience and understanding of the African continent. Colleagues are anticipating a range of synergies as Professor Tsikata's work has so many points of contact with research and teaching in the department: on gender, agrarian transitions and questions of citizenship. We are very much looking forward to welcoming Professor Tsikata to our department.”
The establishment of the distinguished research professorships follows on the adoption of SOAS’ new Strategic Plan which seeks to both reimagine our global partnerships and revitalise our research agenda.
