Perceptions of the European Union as a Development Actor
| Research Project Title: | Perceptions of the European Union as a Development Actor: a comparative analysis of media representations, public opinion and practitioner views in the Pacific, South East Asia and Southern African regions |
| Project Leader: | Prof Martin Holland |
| Chief Researchers: | Dr. Natalia Chaban |
| Duration: | September 06 - July 07 |
This research project is sponsored by a Jean Monnet Research Project Grant.
Overview
The inspiration behind the research project -The Perceptions of the European Union as a Development Actor: a comparative analysis of media representations, public opinion and practitioner views in the Pacific, South East Asia and Southern African regions – stems from the findings of a previously funded Jean Monnet Action project on media and public perceptions of the EU in general in the Asia-Pacific region. A striking finding in this previous innovative research was the general low level of media coverage and public awareness of the EU as a significant development actor (in terms of aid, trade, debt relief and poverty reduction) committed to meeting all of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Consequently, this project seeks to focus more precisely on this
topic - that of the images of the EU as a “development actor” in
the international public discourses - while applying the existing
proven methodology in order to facilitate comparative analysis.
The chosen regions reflect the EU’s diverse development mechanisms
and groupings, combining the African and Pacific elements under
the Cotonou process with the EU’s separate South East Asian strategy.
Researchers
New Zealand - Jessica Bain, Serena Kelly
Thailand - Trip Kirtiputra
South Africa - Dr. Lorenzo Fioramonti
Kenya and Tanzania - Dr. Patrick Kimunguyi
PHDs and Internships