Dr Davies Banda

Lecturer - Sport Policy; Deputy Director - Academy of Sport

Biography

Background

Davies Banda is an active researcher in the field of sport-for-development and has published both in peer-reviewed journals and UK government commissioned policy reports. His research interests are centred particularly on: youth sport and social inclusion policies, sport-for-development and social inclusion interventions, and corporate social responsibility through sport. He has advocated for the role that sport plays in the lives of disadvantaged young people, particularly those living in deprived communities.

His academic and practitioner interest within the sport-for-development sector focuses on designing and implementation of social interventions using sport as a tool for development. Davies has experience of working as a consultant in Europe and Africa where he has engaged private, voluntary and public sector bodies using sport as a social good. Davies had a role in the FIFA Men's Football World Cup Qatar 2022TM as Academic Advisor to the Executive Director of Generation Amazing Foundation. He lead on shaping the legacy strategy for youths at home and abroad.

Davies has previously held brief posts at Loughborough University and Sheffield Hallam University before spending 10 years (2006 – 2016) at York St John University as a Senior Lecturer in Sport Policy.

Qualifications

Doctor of Philosophy  - Sport Policy and Political Science Analysis  - Loughborough University

Professional Certificate in Academic Practice (PCAP) -  University of Leeds

Master of Science - Sport and Leisure Management - Loughborough University

Secondary School Teaching Diploma - University of Zambia - Nkrumah Teachers College

Primary Teaching Methods - Kitwe Teachers College - Zambia

Responsibilities & affiliations

Postgraduate and Undergraduate Teaching

Deputy Director - Academy of Sport

Undergraduate teaching

  • Sport Management
  • Sport Policy and Development
  • Sport Strategic Management
  • Research Dissertations

Postgraduate teaching

  • Sport Resource Management
  • Research Dissertations

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Areas of interest for supervision

  • Sport and International Development
  • Sport and Social Inclusion
  • African Political Settings and Sport

 

Current PhD students supervised

PhD Completion

  • Matthew Holmes, A Qualitative Study Exploring Sport for Development Phenomena in Lusaka (Zambia) (co-supervised with Prof Grant Jarvie and Prof Liz Grant), Awarded Doctorate.
  • Ross Fraser Walker, Basketball, Culture and Society in a Devolved Context: A Qualitative Analysis; Moray House School of Education (co-supervised with Prof Grant Jarvie), Awarded Doctorate

Current PhD Supervision

  • Keri MacDonald, Evolvement of Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) within the South African Context – 1st Supervisor working with Dr Gavin Reid 
  • Noor Alshammari – Basketball, Women and Pathways in Kuwait commencing doctoral studies at Moray House School of Education (co-supervised with Prof John Sproule)

Research summary

  • Research interests involve: 
  • Youth Sport and Social Inclusion policies
  • Sport-for-development and Social Inclusion Interventions
  • National Sport and Leisure Policies and Colonial Legacies 
  • International Development through sport for social good programmes
  • Political Ideologies and Implications on Sport Policy
  • Corporate Social Responsibility through sport  

Current research interests

Sport Mega Events (SMEs) Legacy and Youth; Learning and Teaching Post-Covid-19; Global South SMEs and Development Sport Policy Analysis within Resource Poor Nations

Past research interests

Youth and Crime Sport, Youth and Deprivation in Britain Social Inclusion and Sport - Positive Futures

Knowledge exchange

Global South and Global North Higher Education knowledge transfer projects between a UK university and a Zambian University for Trainee Teachers. Awarded a British Council -  Development Partnerships in Higher Education Bid to deliver curriculum development outcomes. This project involved:

  • Promotion of Public-Private Partnerships in the sport-for-development sector
  • Institutional development/reforms with particular experience in developing partnerships between Global North and Global South Higher Education Institutions
  • Curriculum development with particular focus on alignment to public policies and  community based sports projects
  • Development of performance indicators and benchmaking of sport for good projects; and development of strategies and policies for the inclusion of target groups in monitoring and evaluation
  • University accredited courses for practitioners in sub-Saharan Africa

Project activity

Partnerships in Sport and HIV/AIDS in Zambia - 2007 – 2008

  • Exploring the role of partnerships within the Global South sport-for-development sector conducted in collaboration with the Institute of Youth Sport, Loughborough University. Awarded £8,600 by York St John University – Role played: Principal Investigator

 

DelPHE Project - 2010 – 2013

  • Development Partnerships in Higher Education (DelPHE) project together with Dr Michelle Jones, and Sylvester Mbewe of Nkrumah University, Zambia. The project involved curriculum development and enhancement of the PE degree within teacher training colleges.  Awarded funds to a maximum of £60,000 by the Department for International Development (DfID) and the British Council. Role played: Project Director

 

I Have a Dream Project - 2012 – 2015.

  • Funding Bid developer and Assessment Panel Co-Director for a Skillshare International project application working with child miners in five villages in the Dori region of Burkina Faso.  Awarded £298,000 by Comic Relief.

Past project grants

Comic Relief Grant - £298,000 awarded to Coaching for Hope - Main Co-Applicant
DfID - British Council - Development Partnerships in Higher Education (DelPHE) £60,000
Laureus Sport for Good Foundation - Consultancy - £ 5,300 Evaluation of MotoV8 Project

View all 19 publications on Research Explorer

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