The Department of Integrated Development Studies (DISS). The DIDS is a foundational department of the newly created School for Development Studies of the University of Cape Coast. The department runs regular MPhil and PhD programmes in Development Studies and boasts of faculty members with many years of research and teaching experience in poverty analysis, rural development, mining and development, urban waste management, development management and informal economy. The department is in the process of developing career-oriented post-graduate programmes in development management, development studies and public sector management; targeting government and non-government (private and civil society) employees and practitioners. The current research agenda of the department focuses on the roles of intellectualism in national development and leadership for development. Beyond this, our faculty members undertake research in mining, political vigilantism, social networks, urban development and financial literacy among others. We believe in development policies and programmes that are informed by robust development research and therefore welcome development partners, academics, researchers, governmental and non-governmental organizations and policy makers to collaborate with us in this endeavour.