Cambridge International Development Conference 2015
The Cambridge International Development Conference (CamIDC) is an annual student-run conference which brings students and professionals into contact with those working at the forefront of international development, whether formulating policy, developing new strategies on the ground, or expanding the academic discipline. The conference aims to provoke interesting conversations, to encourage new connections within the field and to inspire delegates to appropriately engage with international development in partnership with those most affected by extreme poverty and global inequalities.
Every year the conference engages with a area of critical importance in the field of international development. The theme for 2013 focused on the impact of crises on nations’ development, specifically on the nexus between crisis and long-term development. The 2014 conference, entitled ‘From Diversity to Sustainable Development’, explored a range of ideas for sustainability and the challenges faced by the international development community. 2015 marks the 10th anniversary of the Cambridge International Development Conference.
This year the conference focused on the ‘Past, Present and Future of International Development’. It aimed to engage with the past and present international development processes with a focus on the role of education. It will also look at new or alternative development strategies for the future, while learning from the past. This conference will be a platform for students, professionals and academics to discuss the importance of theory and practice in international development. Some of the critical questions are: How does education contribute to international development and what challenges are we facing? How has education impacted international development in the last ten years in different countries? What is needed to solve current challenges and how can education help us in that? How does education connect to other issues like human rights or health? How does female empowerment help us solve issues and what can be done to make education equally accessible to men and women? What do young people interested in international development need to know? What capacities do we need as a global community to make a positive, enduring impact on the lives of the most disadvantaged people in the world? What is the future potential of bottom-up approaches like social enterprises, as well as of creative economies, technology and social media in development?
The CamIDC student committee is supported by the Centre of Global Equality and Cambridge Hub. As part of their broader aims, both Cambridge-based charities work to transform students' involvement with challenges in international development in order to find innovative, impactful solutions to complex and enduring problems.