Hi, Glyn! And welcome to Lund University. Which university did you recently come from?
– Thank you! I came from University of Sheffield, where I worked from 2006, having previously held posts at King's College London (2003–2006) and Keele University (1994–2002).
What is the main focus of your research?
– My research has been primarily based in India and South Africa and examines how development interventions are reworked and contested as they make the journey from policies or ideas to actual practices on the ground. I’ve looked extensively at initiatives in participatory development, and focused more recently on the implications of urban change in the Global South for poorer citizens.
– I'm currently finishing a project on how local governments responded to the COVID crisis in Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Thiruvananthapuram, working with Darshini Mahadevia, Karen Coelho, and Binitha V Thampi. I’ve also got a new project in the pipeline which will look at the impact of large-scale rehousing programmes on urban inclusion and citizenship in China, India, and South Africa.
“ There are really important stories to tell from the places I’ve worked in, and I hope I’ve done justice to them through my writing over the years. “
What are the best parts of working as a professor at the university?
– My research has always involved qualitative fieldwork, conducted with local research partners, and the intense engagement and close collaboration involved in this is a real motivation for me. There are significant stories to tell from the places I’ve worked in, and I hope I’ve done justice to them through my writing over the years.
– Working with students who are equally passionate about the issues I’m studying is also a privilege. Building their capacity and learning from and with them through work in the classroom is always a pleasure.
What qualities in your role as a professor do you think you will mainly be able to contribute to?
– As well as looking forward to new projects and bringing those to Lund, I'm really interested in researcher development. I’ve worked a lot with PhDs (over 25 supervised to successful completion!) and early career researchers, and I hope that experience will be of value here.
What do you feel most curious to learn more about?
– Beyond the research projects I’m engaged in (where curiosity is inbuilt!), I’m looking forward to learning more about colleagues’ work, and understanding Swedish academia more generally. All universities are different, but moving countries to a whole new educational environment is a great opportunity to reflect on my own practice, and to learn from that difference.
What is your image of Lund and the university so far?
– I couldn’t have asked for a warmer welcome than I’ve been given here, with colleagues in the Department really helping me to settle in. It’s going to take a long time before I’m even vaguely competent in speaking Swedish, but I’m enjoying life in Skåne very much!