GDP - The Global Development Primer

Tourism can be hard on sensitive ecosystems.  Imported food, carbon miles, water, sanitation, and single use plastics are all problems.  But you'll never guess what plastic item for tourists is actually causing a lot of grief for environmental sustainability.  Tune into to hear Dr. Bob Huish chat with Dr. Regina Scheyvens about her research on tourism and development in the Pacific....

This is, without doubt, the most remote Podcast that you'll hear on the series.  Dr. Bob Huish joins Dr. Sharon McLennan & Cristine Werle in Kiribati, a country in the Pacific Ocean that is only 2 - 3 meters above sea level.  The three met to learn about Cuban Medical Cooperation in the Pacific,  and quickly became aware of the serious health and development challenges that impact Kiribati today....

The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, ending a long-standing special relationship with Cuba.  The fall of the wall thew Cuba into an economic tailspin in the 1990s, and it signalled many to think that Cuba was on the look out for new partners in new places. In this special series podcast on the Cuban Development Model Dr. Bob Huish connects with Dr. Mervyn Bain  about just how deep relations run bet...

Master's graduate Jessica Hirtle has been through hurricanes, and she has been to Cuba.  It didn't take her long to notice that Cuba seems to be better prepared to handle hurricanes and natural disasters than many other areas in the Caribbean and even in North America. In this episode Jessica Hirtle sits down with her Master's Supervisor Dr. Bob Huish to talk about her primary research on Cuba's e...

In Cuba in the 1960s an 1970s gay men could be sent to work camps for "re-education".  Hostilities and discrimination against the gay community were widespread in the 1980s and 1990s as well.  However, today Cuba has one of the most progressive approaches to LGBTQ+ rights in the Americas.   In this podcast Dr Bob Huish talks with Dr. Emily Kirk to discuss how attitudes and policies...

Almost 20 years ago Dr. John Kirk encouraged (Dr.) Bob Huish to head to Cuba to pursue research for the first time.  Since then the two have worked closely together on issues of Cuba's place in the global health landscape.  Both have published books on Cuban Medical Internationalism and dozens of articles on the subject.  In this podcast they sit down for a half hour to discuss why...

On this episode, recorded in Blackball New Zealand, Dr. Bob Huish  talks to Dr. Sean Connelly about neoliberalism.  What is it?  What has it done, and what are the outcomes of this economic theory turned ideology?  No better place to discuss this concept than in the birthplace of New Zealand's labour movement. Sean is a senior lecturer at the University of Otago in the department of geography. He...

In this episode Dr. Bob Huish talks with Jessica Cadesky in Vancouver to talk about her experiences as a worker with the Red Cross, and UN agencies working on gender and violence prevention.  Jessica's research looks at gender in post-conflict settings, and how humanitarian programs need to be mindful of gender in their scope and approach.   Jessica is a gender and violence prevention sp...

Democracy is a precious thing and it takes work to build it and to protect it.  In our kick-off episode of season 2, Dr. Bob Huish talks to Dr. Gabrielle Bardall about "Democracy Assistance" in International Development.  Working in post-conflict, and authoritarian states, Dr. Bardall has on the ground experience of enhancing democratic processes and elections around the world. Dr. Gabrielle Barda...

It's Season 2 of GDP.  Here's what to expect:  More development in action podcasts by practitioners who lend advice on how to get jobs in the development field.  And a block set of episodes dedicated entirely to the Cuban development model. 🇨🇺🇨🇺🇨🇺 Season 2 episodes start on January 2, 2020. Tune in, check it out, and follow along on Twitter:  @ProfessorHuish

In 2019 we witnessed protests in Chile, Hong Kong, Lebanon, and even Nova Scotia.  Why are these protests occurring, and how effective are they in making transformative change?  In this " In the Now" bonus podcast on GDP, Dr. Bob Huish speaks with Dr. Jon Langdon about the efficacy of activism today.  Knowing the local matters when it comes to Activism & Development, and in this...

It's the finale for Season 1 of GDP.  Dr. Bob Huish calls up two good friends in Fiji, Dr. Sara Amin & Dr. Christian Girard.  Both have teaching experience at the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh, which offers fully-funded scholarships to incredibly talented women from across Asia.  In this conversation, Sara & Christian share stories and reveal important insights into innovative teaching...

In this episode Dr. Matthew Schnurr joins Dr. Bob Huish to chat about modernization theory.  Like other episodes in this first season, we're covering the groundwork for theories of International Development that have transformed the lives of millions for better and worse.   Matthew Schnurr is an environmental geographer with research and teaching interests in environment and development. His resea...

Canada has a Feminist Foreign International Assistance Policy that focuses on peace, security, violence issues, and economic empowerment that puts poverty alleviation at the heart of the policy.  Dr. Laura Parisi joins Dr. Bob Huish in this episode to talk about the details, and how effective this approach is to International Development.   Dr. Parisi is Chair and Associate Professor of the Depart...

Disability issues are some of the most understudied and neglected areas of International Development.  In this episode recent MA graduate Anu Oduwole talks to Dr. Bob Huish about her work in studying disability issues in Nigeria.  In Nigeria, persons with disabilities face enormous challenges, and the state is doing very little to ensure their well being.  Anu talks to GDP about thi...

This week it is a window into the University class experience with Dr. Huish and Tari Ajadi .  Tari offers some detailed clarification after students at Dalhousie University covered a chapter and a lecture on Colonialism in Development.  If you're curious as to what we discuss in our Introduction to Development Studies courses, here's your chance to find out all about it.  And what...

In this episode Dr. Bob Huish makes his way to Blackball New Zealand to catch up with long-time friend Prof. Tony Binns .  Prof. Binns talks to us about his time and work in Sierra Leone, a country deeply impacted by conflict, food security challenges, and the 2014 Ebola outbreak.   Prof. Tony Binns is the Ron Lister Chair of Geography at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand....

This week Heather Carroll joins Dr. Bob Huish in the podcast studio to talk about voluntourism, the combination of volunteering, tourism, and academic credit.  Is this the heart of development?  Is it poverty tourism?  Is it a multi-million dollar business?  These two educators dive into the details. Thousands of students volunteer abroad every year.  Is it a necessary rit...

Today Dr. Bob Huish brings in fellow coffee addict Dr. Gavin Fridell to talk about fair trade coffee, and the broader economics of the coffee trade.  Thought of as an ideal model of development, Dr. Fridell discusses just how well fair trade has faired in International Development.   Dr. Fridell is a Canada Research Chair in International Development Studies at St. Mary’s University. A m...

Today on GDP Dr. Bob Huish has Patrick Balazo on the phone from Thailand to talk about the very serious perils of statelessness.   Patrick holds a BAH and Masters in International Development Studies from Dalhousie University. He is a Killam Scholar, and Recipient of the Canada Graduate Scholarship to Honour Nelson Mandela, and worked as a Research Officer with a Burmese human rights organiza...

In this episode Dr. Bob Huish speaks with Dr. Eli Diamond about Aristotle, the Capabilities Approach, and why it matters for International Development Studies today. Dr. Diamond is an Associate professor of Ancient Philosophy at Dalhousie University . His research interests include metaphysics and politics in ancient Greek philosophy. He is the author of “Mortal Imitations of divine life: The Natu...

A podcast that goes well beyond Gross Domestic Product!  GDP, the Global Development Primer, is a podcast, a course, and a lens into the world of International Development Studies.  Featuring experts from around the world, Dr. Bob Huish broadcasts from Dalhousie University, in Halifax Nova Scotia, Canada, to bring you important insights into everything related to International Developmen...

If you’re a global development professional, an educator or a student interested in global issues, you’ll want to dig into the stories and advice shared by GDP - the Global Development Primer