It has already been a week since I arrived in the Mother City but I still feel like 'Johnny Just Come' (JJC)! But this is not the usual JJC syndrome of being in awe and not knowing how things work. My JJC is more psychological and I realise that it goes back to the cold … Continue reading Cape Chronicles II: Johnny Just Come
Author: Shakestycoon
Cape Chronicles I – Sarafina! and predeparture briefing
For the next 5 weeks I have the privilege of calling Cape Town my home. I am embarking on a research visit to the University of Cape Town and will be hosted by the African Centre for Cities. The aim of my research visit is to explore the planning issues associated with the use of tourism for … Continue reading Cape Chronicles I – Sarafina! and predeparture briefing
Ciao Napoli – I hope to see you again!
My first outside social encounter in Napoli on the second night of my stay in the city took place at the entrance of a restaurant and unfolded like this: Me: "Are you already serving food?" Italian Waiter:"Food?" Me:"Yes!" Italian Waiter:"Do you want to eat?" Me:"Yes!" Italian Waiter:"Do you have money?" Me:"What?!?" Italian Waiter:"Do you have … Continue reading Ciao Napoli – I hope to see you again!
The continued existence of international development researchers
On The Guardian’s Global Development Professionals Network page, I recently came across an article and from where I ‘borrowed’ the title for this blog post. In that short article (which you can see here) the author raises some interesting points about current international development practice. The central question posed by the author is whether International … Continue reading The continued existence of international development researchers
Metaphors we fly by: 2 weeks at the University of Surrey
How time flies! (that is a metaphor right there but I will get to that later). With a mixture of sadness and gladness, today is my last day in Guildford where I have been on a research visit to the University of Surrey for the past two weeks. It has been a very good and productive … Continue reading Metaphors we fly by: 2 weeks at the University of Surrey
Researcher Reflexivity in Planning Research: My view from Elmina, Ghana*
As a Ghanaian keenly interested in the development of my country I feel very frustrated most times when I think of the considerable abuse of power coupled with the systemic and structural constraints to innovative thinking among planners and policy makers. Within this context of yearning for development in Ghana, the conduct of my fieldwork … Continue reading Researcher Reflexivity in Planning Research: My view from Elmina, Ghana*
100 key research questions for the post-2015 development agenda: a research paper
I am please to announce the publication of a new research article that identifies 100 key questions to be considered in the context of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In March, 2015 I wrote a short blog post about a working paper that was published as part of a research project I was involved in … Continue reading 100 key research questions for the post-2015 development agenda: a research paper
Forcing the butterfly out of a cocoon: institutional formation and change in developing countries
In the first week of June, 2015 I attended a tourism research conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania organised by ATLAS Africa. For my presentations titled “Today is party A, tomorrow is party B”: the politics of the tourism-poverty nexus in Ghana I made the argument that the state is critical for tourism development and … Continue reading Forcing the butterfly out of a cocoon: institutional formation and change in developing countries
Africa is a country…..so is South Africa
Did you know that Africa is a country? Well apparently the cliché is not only used by the average person but even institutions like my own University of Sheffield. Sometimes you just have to laugh these things off but most times it is a tad bit annoying that people keep lumping all the 54 countries … Continue reading Africa is a country…..so is South Africa
The pain, pain and some joy of transcription
Unlike mainly quantitative research that rely on the cliché of number crunching, interviews as used in qualitative research allow one to get access to a wealth of information that can provide insights over and above what the numbers tell. This makes the use of interview data in research a joy. However, the very joy of … Continue reading The pain, pain and some joy of transcription
Emmanuel Akwasi Adu-Ampong 