Global Aid Rethink: Aid as Neocolonialism

In the third episode of Global Aid Rethink, hosts Ivica Petrikova (Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London) and Melita Lazell (Associate Professor in Political Economy and Development at the University of Portsmouth) delve into one of the most contentious aspects of international assistance: aid as neocolonialism.

With global aid funding at its lowest in decades and the Sustainable Development Goals significantly off-track, the podcast continues its exploration of challenging questions surrounding the global aid landscape. This episode critically examines how contemporary development aid systems and institutions can perpetuate forms of control and dependency reminiscent of colonial eras, even in the absence of direct rule.

Joining Ivica and Melita for this incisive discussion are Professor Sophia Price, Head of the School of Social Sciences at Birkbeck, University of London, and Aude Darnal, Research Analyst and Project Manager at the Stimson Center and Founder of the Global South in the World Order project. They explore the historical context of neocolonialism, dissecting how issues like conditionality, the marginalisation of local actors, and the "aid industrial complex" maintain existing power imbalances. The conversation also addresses the potential for resistance and decolonisation within the aid system, questioning whether a truly decolonised aid is achievable amidst current global shifts.

Global Aid Rethink publishes fortnightly, on Tuesdays, from 22nd April 2025 to 1st July.  

• Read the transcript here

This is a Research Podcasts production.

Episode credits:

Presenters: Ivica Petrikova, Royal Holloway, University of London and Melita Lazell, Portsmouth University

Guests: Professor Sophia Price and Aude Darnal

Producer: Catherine McDonald, Research Podcasts

Music: MFCC via Pixabay

Artwork and Audiograms: Krissie Brighty-Glover and Lauren White, Research Podcasts

This podcast was generously funded by the ESRC-funded Royal Holloway Social Science Impact Accelerator

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