About us
DevNet connects academics, students and development practitioners to facilitate the exchange of ideas, information and research.
The Aotearoa New Zealand International Development Studies Network links people and organisations involved and interested in the broad field of international development in Aotearoa New Zealand and the wider world…
CONFERENCES
DevNet’s conferences have been held biennially since 1998. Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest, regular conference on international development, provides a great opportunity for people from Aotearoa, the Pacific and others to learn from each other and from international experts. Keynote speakers have…
RESOURCES
eSocSci is an interactive knowledge space for communicating social science research and bringing together people who have common research interests in Aotearoa New Zealand. It includes an eLibrary of working papers on topic related to a variety of topics including migration, health, education…
PROF. ANTHONY BEBBINGTON
Director of the Graduate School of Geography, Clark University, MA, USA
MICHAEL EDWARDS
Director of the Governance and Civil Society Unit at the Ford Foundation
Priyam Maharaj is a PhD student at the University of Otago. She has been awarded the DevNet/MFAT New Zealand Postgraduate Development Field Research Award to conduct her field research in Fiji. Priyam's research topic is: Being Boys: Social Constructions of Boyhood in Fiji. Please find her story below:
"I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to my supervisors, the University of Otago, DevNet, and the Fiji Ministry of Education for their invaluable support. This research would not have been possible without the generous funding from DevNet and MFAT, which was crucial to its success. I would also like to convey my gratitude to the heads of schools, staff, and students who participated in this study. Thank you for your candor, generosity, and kindness in accommodating me.
Returning to Fiji to conduct this study and working closely with children and young people has been an enriching and rewarding experience. The challenges of researching in school settings have enhanced my skills as a researcher and deepened my enjoyment of the process. The research was carried out during two separate trips, each lasting two months. I spent time at four different schools (three secondary and one primary), conducting focus groups and interviews with 62 boys and three teachers. I was also fortunate to observe various aspects of boys' lives and practices during excursions and sporting events. This experience significantly expanded my understanding of the social fabric in which their identities are formed and lived.
The relationships I built with the boys in this study, along with their openness in sharing their experiences, can enhance our understanding of young masculinities and child-centered research methodology."
To read Priyam's policy brief, please visit: devnet.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/NZPG-Policy-Brief-Final-Priyam-Maharaj-2024.docx
Please note that applications for the current DevNet/MFAT New Zealand Postgraduate Development Field Research Awards 2024 are open until 15 January 2025. For further information, check out our website:
devnet.org.nz/development-studies-postgraduate-research-awards/
Shall I apply for the grant?
Congratulations Priyam! So proud of you!
Congratulations Priyam!!
Awesome
Hurry up – only 9 days left to register for the DevNet 2024 Conference at the early bird rate!
To register, please go to: www.otago.ac.nz/conference/devnet/
The Conference Grant results have been announced. Thanks to the generous grant from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, we are able to support 21 postgraduate students studying at New Zealand universities and 15 researchers, policymakers, and postgraduate students from the Pacific to attend the conference in Dunedin, New Zealand, in person.
While we strive to support Pacific participants, due to the high volume of applications for the Grant, we were only able to provide funding for a limited number of Pacific participants. However, we are waiving the registration fees for all participants joining from the Pacific, and we hope this will assist Pacific participants in attending the conference. Please email Devnet2024@otago.ac.nz for a voucher for free registration.
We look forward to welcoming you all to the conference, either virtually or in person.
Hurry up — only 3 days left to apply for the DevNet 2024 Conference Grants!
If your abstract has been accepted for presentation at the DevNet 2024 conference, and you are either a postgraduate student at a New Zealand university, or a government officer, a researcher, or a postgraduate student from a Pacific country, these grants are for you. A limited number of grants are available, so be sure to apply by 21 September 2024.
For further information, please go to our website: devnet.org.nz/devnet-2024/
The payment gateway for the DevNet 2024 Conference is now active. Please log in to the website devnet.org.nz/devnet-2024/ to register for the early bird rates, available until 11 October.
Please also note that the Conference grants for New Zealand-based postgraduate students and Pacific participants are open until 21 September.