This post explores how international development has evolved, why it's not just about the Global South, and how the King’s MSc International Development helps students understand global inequality, power, and change.
This guest post is by Professor Andy Sumner, Programme Leader for the online International Development MSc.
When people hear the word “development,” they often picture rural poverty, humanitarian aid, or urban slums in the Global South. But is development only about the Global South? Or should we think of development as a global process?
This question goes to the heart of what international development studies is about. If you’re considering the online MSc in International Development at King’s College London, it’s worth asking: what exactly are we studying, and why?
Historically, international development studies emerged to understand the challenges faced by the newly independent nations of the Global South—countries that were previously colonised and left with structural disadvantages in terms of income, production, and global economic power.
In the post-war period, distinctions between “developed” and “developing” countries—or the Global North and Global South—seemed stark. The so-called ‘Brandt Line’ divided the rich industrialised countries from the poorer ones, and development studies focused almost entirely on the latter.
Fast forward to today, and the global landscape has shifted. Some Global South countries, especially in East Asia, have achieved impressive economic development.
Official Development Assistance (ODA) is no longer a major issue for most countries in the Global South. But this progress is uneven. Some countries do remain aid-dependent, and global inequalities remain entrenched.
Although aid matters less, most Global South countries have not converged with the rich countries in terms of the kind of characteristics that are associated with ‘developed’ countries such as stronger resilience to shocks, or access to modern technology.
At the same time, new global challenges—climate change, pandemics, inequality, and economic insecurity—affect all countries, albeit differently. Some argue that development is no longer just a “southern” concern. Inequality exists in the North too. So does job insecurity. So do climate-related shocks. Why, then, should development studies remain focused on the Global South?
At the same time treating development as truly “global” can be misleading. Many so-called common problems manifest very differently. Flooding in the UK is not the same as flooding in Dhaka in terms of insurance cover. The elderly in the UK may be vulnerable, but they usually have some kind of pensions, insurance, and functioning emergency services. Poor communities in the Global South may have none of these. The same global issue—climate risk, for instance—may be far more severe and much harder to manage in the South.
Moreover, power still matters. Global production, international finance, and multilateral institutions are largely shaped by the Global North. The Global South often remains in a structurally subordinate position. And that matters for their long-term development prospects.
So, where does that leave us? The answer may lie in what the International Development MSc at King’s explores in detail: we should think in terms of differentiation rather than universalism. Yes, development happens everywhere. But the challenges, resources, and constraints differ substantially.
International Development studies needs to retain a clear focus on the Global South—not because poverty doesn’t exist in the North, but because the scale, depth, history, and structural conditions are distinct.
International development, though, is not just a process of income growth. It’s about politics, economy, and historical legacies. And while development problems may be “global” in some sense, the way they are experienced—and who has the power to respond—remains profoundly unequal.
If you’re interested in thinking critically about these issues—about whether development is a global process or a historically-rooted, geographically uneven one—then the online MSc in International Development at King’s College London may offer what you are looking for.
It doesn’t offer simple answers. But it does equip you with the tools to ask better questions and understand and assess the different possible answers. To find out more or apply, visit: