Study Groups | DSA Ireland

Increasingly there is a realization that business and development are linked and the synergy between the two sectors should be harnessed. At the DSAI Business and Development Study Group, educators, researchers, business (corporate and SMEs), NGOs and governmental actors work together to explore issues and ideas that further increase the understanding and knowledge of the interaction between Business and Development. We also collaborate to find ways of maximizing the interlinks of the two spheres for the common good of fostering shared and sustainable advancement of communities and countries, locally and globally.

The changing realities that the human family and planet earth face in this century is making it more than ever important for business and development sectors to work collaboratively. The global agenda of addressing the triple challenge of mitigating climate change while maintaining economic growth and ending poverty in an increasingly connected and interdependent world through the implementation of United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs), the Global Compact and other avenues require businesses to be mindful of and find ways of increasing their contribution to sustainable societies and environment. Working on this common planetary platform provides an opportunity for co-learning between business and development.

As the number of ethical, green and fair consumers rise and businesses depart from solely profit driven and adopt more broader stakeholder models and the imperatives of sustainability, shared value, fair and ethical supply chains and all-round responsible enterprises, the linkages between business and development are becoming even more apparent. The study group provides a space for reflection and discussions of these developments and more broadly an avenue for an ongoing enquiry and dialogue on how can business work in conjunction with development and other sectors to contribute to building fair, sustainable and prosperous economies and communities locally and globally while taking into account the restoration and maintaining of a health environment and resource base for current and future generations.

At the B&D group we explore these and other related issues through seminars on specific timely topics, workshops which also serve as training spaces and the B&D session at the DSAI Annual Conference. As members we also share reports, updates and new findings emerging in this area.

The convenor of this group is David Nyaluke, UCD Proudly Made in Africa Fellow. To join the group, or simply find more about what is happening please email David at businessanddev@dsaireland.org

Convenor

David Nyaluke

Dr David Nyaluke is the UCD Proudly Made in Africa Fellow in Business and Development. He researches and teaches on 'Doing Business in and with Africa' and on sustainable development across 15 business schools and departments of business in universities, colleges and institutes of technology in Ireland. David's current research is within the area of Africa and the international trade system. His research questions focus on how can the international trade system be reformed in various sectors to foster sustainable development in Africa and globally. Before joining UCD College of Business and Proudly Made in Africa, David completed a PhD from Dublin City University (DCU). His doctoral thesis investigated trajectories of political and economic development transformation of African states from independence into the 21st Century.