Dr. Michael Jennings

Dr. Michael Jennings (SOAS) is Senior Lecturer in Development Studies in the Department of Development Studies, SOAS. He works on governance, development and civil society in East Africa, and social aspects of health and healing in sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular focus on non-state health actors, malaria and HIV and AIDS. His research on non-state actors in development and service provision in Africa looks at the role and nature of the non-state voluntary sector (including NGOs, faith-and religious-based organisations, and informal associations and networks). Michael is particularly interested in the historical development of welfare sectors, and the interactions between states, donors and non-state actors in its creation and evolution.

Michael also works on the history and contemporary politics of development narratives over the past century, and conflicts between different narratives held by competing actors operating in the developmental space. In particular, he is interested in the multiple roles which ‘development’ as a process and idea takes on, and synergies between power, politics and development in the North and South. Michael is a regular contributor of expert briefing documents on a wide range of political, social and health issues in sub-Saharan Africa, and writes on development and politics in Africa on his blog.