MSc Global Challenges

Global Development Challenges team

Find out about the experience and expertise of the people who will be leading and contributing to the programme.

Sam Spiegel

Sam Spiegal

Programme Director of the MSc Global Challenges, Sam Spiegel's research has examined a variety of debates relating to the conceptualization of global inequality, marginalization and governance, with particular focus on the politics of resource extraction, labour regulation and livelihoods in mining communities. He has served as an advisor to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and worked with governments and civil society groups on diverse initiatives to address resource management, development policy and governance in Africa, Asia and South America. His current research focuses on how global governance paradigms in the extractive sector relate to national development policies and rural livelihood planning in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Hazel Gray

Hazel Gray's research interests concern the political economy of development in Africa, industrial policy and industrialization, state-business relations, institutions and economic performance in Africa and Asia. Her regional focus is on East Africa and she has been researching and working in Tanzania since 2000.  She has been an advisor at the Ministry of Finance in Tanzania as well as to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and DFID (Department for International Development) on issues of economic transformation, institutions and public financial management.

Jean-Benoit Falisse

Jean-Benoit Falisse's research interests are in the provision of basic social services (health-care, education, justice) in so-called ‘fragile’ contexts and refugee livelihoods. Jean-Benoit has also worked for United Nations and international NGOs in the African Great Lakes region.

Maria Brichs

Maria is the programme administrator.