Global south unit
The Global South Unit (GSU) is a research and teaching initiative based in the International Relations Department of the LSE. It is a decentralised ideas hub aimed at investigating the changing role of the South in shaping the global order.
The unit was co-founded by Professor Chris Alden and Dr. Alvaro Mendez from the International Relations Department.
We aspire to lead the debate through our research, analysis and innovative ideas. Our network of academics, practitioners, policy-makers and business leaders are active proponents of new ideas and thinking about the Global South.
Our work:
Our work is not based on theory alone; contributors have real experience of social and economic development in the Global South and feed these learnings back into their work and to the wider academic community. We capture and accurately analyse the shifting global landscape of economic ties and political relations now in process of re-constituting the structures and institutions of the international system.
Our remit:
Our remit is to ‘de-centre’ the study of International Relations and focus on:
- Differing dimensions of emerging power foreign policy;
- The changing dynamics of South-South cooperation;
- The impact of the Global South on key international issues such as global governance and climate change
- The relationship between North and South across political, economic, and social development dimensions
We achieve this through a combination of original academic research and an active outreach programme of events and publications.
Through established links in Africa, China, India and Latin America, the GSU is part of a growing global network that will serve as a virtual and substantive centre of excellence on the study of the Global South.