Work on communication and development is a particular feature of research by SAPD staff and students in the Graduate Institute of International Development, Agriculture and Economics (GIDAE).
Students, academics and professionals in the field of communication for development from 14 universities from a range of countries came together in July for a conference entitled ‘Communication for Development: Building knowledge, enhancing skills, and engendering critical dialogue’, hosted by the University of Reading. Dr Sarah Cardey of the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development at the University of Reading said: “The event was a tremendous success as it created a platform for experts in the field to share their experiences and insight within our community. “It enabled us to discuss and examine current work practices such as the role of communication and practitioners, the use of tools to promote efficient strategies, the analysis of monitoring and evaluation methods, the role of Latin American studies, and the current challenges faced by this field.”
Sarah has been working on rural communication in partnership with a Wageningen University, University of Queensland, University of Guelph, University of the Philippines Los Banos, and with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, on the Global Research Initiative on Rural Communication. The most recent study is an evaluation and evidence building in rural communication projects, which may be found here.