Working Towards a Shared Vision on Development Studies in India and The Netherlands

The chapter presents perspectives on Development Studies in India and The Netherlands emerging from a dialogue between scholars in five Indian universities/institutions and the International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University, The Hague, Netherlands (July 2016). The ontological and geographical scope of the field of Development Studies in India and the International Institute of Social Studies/The Netherlands is traced highlighting variations in the context, evolution, content and boundaries of the field. Despite variations there was a great degree of pluralism and convergence on issues of multi/interdisciplinarity, epistemologies and methodologies across and within the institutions represented rather than a clear-cut Northern versus Southern polarisation. The need for challenging North–South dynamics in knowledge production is emphasised along with reflections on pushing the boundaries of Development Studies to incorporate new global themes and disciplines