CFP: Theoretical and practical aspects of East European development aid to Africa during the Cold War era

 CFP: Theoretical and practical aspects of East European development aid to Africa during the Cold War era, Workshop, University of Warsaw, 20-21 November 2025

The Warsaw Centre for Global History invites colleagues to participate in a workshop exploring theoretical and practical aspects of Eastern European development aid in Africa, as well as economic cooperation between Eastern European and African countries during the Cold War era.

For most of the 20th century, Eastern Europe and Africa shared experiences of underdevelopment and aspirations to overcome it. Decolonization in Africa opened a space for Eastern European countries, which themselves had experience of dependance, to engage in development aid on the continent. Given their experience during the interwar period in overcoming underdevelopment resulting from previous subjugation to European imperial monarchies, coupled with their emphasis on national economic sovereignty, these nations could serve as an attractive and alternative model for newly independent countries with similar ambitions.

The Cold War marked the emergence of development studies as a distinct academic discipline. Scholars from Eastern and Central Eastern Europe did not lag behind in this evolution. While Western studies of dependency and underdevelopment focused primarily on the Global South, researchers from the East could also draw on empirical materials from their part of the world. For example, in Poland, historian Marian Małowist identified the roots of underdevelopment in Eastern Europe and Africa in early modern history. Specialized academic chairs and institutes were established to research development issues and provide expertise. Additionally, these institutions offered educational exchange programs for visitors from developing countries. Internationally recognized economists such as Oskar Lange and Michał Kalecki conceptualized their observations and provided expertise to governments of developing countries in the Third World.

Eastern Europeans managed their development efforts while working to overcome underdevelopment in their home countries, a fact acknowledged by their leadership. These countries could not match the volume and scope of development aid provided by the West. While they spoke the Soviet language of solidarity, domestic economic performance more than ideological factors seemed to inform their developmental initiatives. Development aid also involved some degree of competition, not only with the West but also inside the Eastern bloc. Eastern European countries generally steered clear of Soviet efforts to coordinate development initiatives in the regional framework. Instead, they engaged in what scholars refer to as "socialist bilateralism."

States played a significant role in promoting socialist development aid efforts. Communist parties influenced the geography of development aid by regulating the movement of expertise, controlling who could enter or leave their countries. In addition, East European experts were carefully selected to represent the appropriate ideological profile. Nevertheless, direct contacts with citizens of the Global South opened up opportunities for the exchange of ideas on the pitfalls of development policy in countries ruled by progressive regimes within Socialist societies that were subject to official censorship. Internal discussions among Communist Party members, meetings of their International Departments, and the proceedings of specialized international commissions provided a platform for exchanging views on development directions and models. Historians of Eastern European anti-colonial social movements recognize that, although these movements were closely linked to the state, there was still a degree of criticism directed at their countries’ excessive or insufficient development efforts in the decolonizing world. Additionally, popular culture, magazines, analyses by economic experts, press bulletins aimed at Communist party members and state apparatus, as well as journalistic accounts all contributed to disseminating knowledge about the societies and cultures of African countries. We are specifically seeking contributions based on these diverse official and unofficial documents in relation to the following problems:

1. The concept of the development

Among the key topics to be discussed is the very idea of development. Scholars agree that its origins can be traced to the late colonial era, specifically in the European colonial powers’ discourse on the so-called civilizing mission. Among the justifications of colonial rule was the responsibility to participate in the advancement of economic and social conditions of the colonized societies. By the post-World War II period, development discourse had taken a different tone, emphasizing the need to transform Africa according to patterns imposed by the West or the East.  From the economic point of view, development drew the line between the industrialized countries and resource-producing agrarian economies.

The discussants will try to answer the following questions: In what ways (if any?) did the Eastern European concept of development differ from the contemporary Western, postcolonial or Soviet, anti-imperial models? What criteria and parameters were used as determinants of development?

2. The flow of knowledge on development

We would also like to consider the flow of knowledge on development. Since the 1950s, political economy and research into the challenges faced by the developing world have reflected global tensions, diverging into two distinct approaches: one focused on pro-market developing economies and the other on those with socialist orientations. Early Western development theories, which eventually dominated the field, were informed by the experiences of the so-called first generation of newly industrialized countries - in other words developing nations – in Latin America or East Asia who had prioritized pro-market orientation. The focus of development models would evolve – from industrialization to the provision of basic needs via agriculture before the neoliberal model emerged in 1980s.

How did international debates on development resonate in Eastern European countries? Did these countries create distinct theories on development? If so, was this expertise based on first-hand contacts with the new nations in Africa and recognition of their unique conditions? Or was it an adaptation of Eastern European Marxism and their own experience in fighting against underdevelopment?

3. The rationale for providing aid

Eastern European countries used the language of solidarity to emphasise their separation from colonial legacies and their specific approach to development aid. It would be valuable to explore the relationship between the official discourse and the motivations outlined in the internal documents of political parties, official journalism, or economic analyses. Were there efforts to understand the social specifics of Africa, considering the various paths of modernization? To what extent did development policies serve as tools for securing Eastern European countries’ specific interests, such as promoting Marxism-Leninism globally, accessing African markets, or the globalization of foreign policies? Furthermore, how did the official justifications and practices of development evolve over time in connection with changes in regimes, ruling elites, and their economic priorities? Of particular importance is the relationship between Eastern European development initiatives and the political regimes of African countries. Were Marxist-governed countries, such as Mozambique, Angola, and Ethiopia, treated differently from other African nations?

4. Planning and organization of expertise

The development and organization of expertise could serve as a foundation for examining both the intentions behind state policies on cooperation with independent African countries, and the perceptual frameworks that accompany them. It would be interesting to study the practical and theoretical preparation of expert personnel travelling to Africa, whether for aid programs or profit-driven ventures. Contributions could consider programs in African studies, courses tailored to the specific needs of various fields related to Africa, language training, and health and diet counselling.

Scholars interested in attending the workshop are invited to send 300-word abstract, including the title, the current or a most recent academic affiliation and a short bio to: eeurope-africa@uw.edu.pl by September 1, 2025.

Notification of acceptance will be sent by September 15, 2025.

Organisers cover accommodation for two nights in Warsaw and travel expenses.

The working language of the conference is English.

Organisers:

prof. Marek Pawełczak, Faculty of History, University of Warsaw

dr Anna Konieczna, Centre for French Culture and Francophone Studies, University of Warsaw

dr Filip Urbański, Faculty of Political Sciences and International Studies, University of Warsaw

References

Burton, Eric, Anne Dietrich, Immanuel Harisch, i Marcia Schenck, red. Navigating Socialist Encounters. Boston, MA: De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2021.

Decker, Corrie, i Elisabeth McMahon. The Idea of Development in Africa: A History. New Approaches to African History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2020.

Kalinovsky, Artemy M. „Sorting Out the Recent Historiography of Development Assistance: Consolidation and New Directions in the Field”. Journal of Contemporary History 56, nr 1 (2021): 227–39.

Lorenzini, Sara. Global Development: A Cold War History. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2019.

Mark, James, i Paul Betts. Socialism Goes Global: The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in the Age of Decolonisation. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 2022.

Mark, James, Artemy M. Kalinovsky, i Steffi Marung, red. Alternative Globalizations. Bloomington Indiana: Indiana University Press. Dostęp 28 maj 2025.

Muehlenbeck, Philip E., i Natalia Telepneva, red. Warsaw Pact Intervention in the Third World. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2020.

Contact Information

dr Anna Konieczna

Centre for French Culture and Francophone Studies | University of Warsaw 

ul. Dobra 55 (s. 3.009)

00-312 Warszawa

www.okf.uw.edu.pl