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Image of Philip Nel 2017BA(Hons) MA DPhil(Stell)


I am interested in the global politics of development, poverty, and inequality, and teach on this (POLS 211, POLS 533) and the ethics of international relations (POLS 312).

My DPhil is from Stellenbosch University, South Africa (1984), and I have been a visiting professor in Germany, Japan, and South Africa. I serve on the editorial boards of a number of international journals, and I am a fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Germany).

Postgraduate students who are interested in issues of development, corruption, inequality, poverty, and the political consequences of natural disasters are welcome to contact me. I have supervised 22 PhDs and more than 60 other postgraduates. My ex-postgrads teach at renowned universities, including St Andrews, Stellenbosch University, University of Cape Town, Leiden University, and the Berlin Social Science Center.

Full CV and list of publications (PDF)

Teaching

  • POLS 211 Global Political Economy
  • POLS 312 Ethics and International Relations
  • POLS 553 The Global Politics of Poverty and Inequality
  • POLS 501 The 'Politics': Theory and Practice

Contact details

Room 4N6, 4th floor, Arts (Burns) Building
Tel +64 3 479 6549
Email philip.nel@otago.ac.nz
Research day – Friday

Selected books

Image of the politics of economic inequality in developing countries book cover The Politics of Economic Inequality in Developing Countries
Image of Routledge Handbook of African Development

The Routledge Handbook of African Development

Click here to view the chapter - Corruption

Click here to view the chapter - Inequality in Africa

Google Scholar
Mobility rules: Why New Zealanders oppose redistribution

Publications

Nel, P. (2024). Transnational inequality and geopolitics. In Z. Cope (Ed.), The Palgrave handbook of contemporary geopolitics. (pp. 1055-1067). Cham, Swizterland: Springer Nature. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-47227-5_55 Chapter in Book - Research

Nel, P. (2024, February). Nots and crosses in Western democracies: Why the irreligious vote left but prefer right. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Political Studies Association, Te Kāhui Tātai Tōngorapū o Aotearoa (NZPSA/TKTToA) 2023/24 Annual Conference: The Rising Pacific, Auckland, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Nel, P. (2023). After Ian Taylor. Contemporary Voices. Advance online publication. doi: 10.15664/jtr.1670 Journal - Research Other

Amusan, T., & Nel, P. (2023). The limits of mutual benefit: A neo-mercantilist perspective on China’s economic relations with Nigeria. South African Journal of International Affairs. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/10220461.2023.2207557 Journal - Research Article

Ellis, L., Winter, C., Headley, J., Goldsmith, L., Patman, R., Roper, B., & Nel, P. (2022, August). World in crisis panel. Panel discussion at the Otago Politics Day School, Dunedin, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

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