Development Studies in Transitional Countries: Bird's Eye View from Nepal

抄録

The various theoretical and pragmatic approaches used in achieving the goals of ‘Development,’ a highly contested notion, point to the fact that this term needs to be understood and applied contextually. Nepal's experiment with development in its recent history highlights how this country's socio-economic and political landscape has been shaped not only by the engagement and approach of Western donors in the form of foreign aid but also by a rapid and unprecedented socio-political transition in the recent past and the subsequent development discourses that have been taking place in the country. In this context, this paper attempts to critically look at the evolution of Development Studies in Nepal as an academic discipline and how the country's tumultuous history has created a space for this discipline. It does so by first studying the general characteristics of Development Studies offered by various colleges and universities in Nepal, and then by specifically focusing on the program designed by Kathmandu University, a leading University in Nepal. The paper ends by arguing that Development Studies as a discipline needs to be more locally and contextually grounded to stay relevant in the future.