VDM Maeda Mitsuko: Power Relations in Development Cooperation

International cooperation in education is a global enterprise that involves diverse actors, ranging from the micro- to the macro-level. The actors include states, aid organisations, private companies, schools and citizens, in both aid provider and recipient countries. These actors have different motives, concerns, interests and power. Why do I feel empowered in less-developed countries? The book begins by this question asked of the author herself, who started her career as a Japanese school teacher and became involved in international cooperation as a foreign development professional. The book expands on this question, and offers an insight into the understanding of power relations among these various actors. The case study of a Japanese-assisted education project in Cambodia provides narrative, in-depth and factual accounts for the ways in which their motives contributed to the power dynamics and influenced development activities. This book is an essential read for researchers in the field of comparative and international education, as well as those who play their roles as actors in international cooperation in education.