The Political Economy of Rwanda's Rise

Speaker: Pritish Behuria, University of Manchester 

Drawing on a decade of research and more than 580 interviews, this innovative political economy case study explores Rwanda's bold attempt to transform its economy after the 1994 genocide into one of the most rapidly growing countries in Africa. Pritish Behuria offers a multi-sector analysis of how globalisation and domestic politics shape contemporary development challenges. This study critically analyses the Rwandan Patriotic Front's ambitions to reshape Rwanda into a regional services hub while grappling with foreign dependency, elite vulnerability and limited financial resources. Through extensive analysis of the political economy of multiple sectors and the macro-economy, Behuria uses the Rwandan case as a window into answering why structural transformation remains so elusive on the continent. The Political Economy of Rwanda's Rise provides fresh insights into highlighting the contemporary challenges facing African countries as they integrate into the global economy.  

Pritish Behuria is a Reader/Associate Professor at The University of Manchester's Global Development Institute. He is also a Visiting Associate Professor at the South African Research Chair in Industrial Development at The University of Johannesburg, as well as a Research Affiliate at The University of Manchester's Sustainable Consumption Institute. He is also an Editor of the European Journal of Development Research and the Reviews Editor of the Journal of Development Studies. His work examines the political economy of late development under contemporary globalisation, with extensive research experience in Eastern and Southern Africa.