Mike Cowen

Michael Philip Cowen (January 16, 1945 – February 6, 2000) was a noted South African development studies scholar. He worked at the University of Rhodesia, the University of Nairobi, the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex and the City of London Polytechnic (now London Metropolitan University) but his highest post achieved with his appointment in 1995 as the Director of the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Helsinki.

Born in Johannesburg to Sylvia Cowen (née Spira) and William Wolf (Bill) Cowen, Mike Cowen grew up in the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia. He was of Lithuanian descent. His father, who was also born in South Africa, practised medicine in Rhodesia and Zambia, later serving as medical officer of health in Lusaka and being awarded an MBE in the 1971 Birthday Honours. Mike Cowen died suddenly in Finland at the age of 55; he was survived by his wife Riitta Launonen and two sons.

Selected publications

Cowen, M. (1984). Early years of the Colonial Development Corporation: British state enterprise overseas during late colonialism. African Affairs, 83(330), 63-75.
Cowen, M. (1981).'Notes on the Nairobi Discussion of the Agrarian Problem', Review of African Political Economy, No. 20, 1981.
Cowen, M. (1984).'Traditions of Populism', Economy and Society, 13 (1)
Cowen, M. (1986). 'Change in State Power, International Conditions and Peasant Producers: the case of Kenya', The Journal of Development Studies, 22 (2),
Cowen, M. (1989).'Before and after Mau Mau in Kenya' (Review Article), The Journal of Peasant Studies, 16 (2), January
Cowen, M. and R.W. Shenton, (1996) Doctrines of Development, London: Routledge, 554 pp.
Cowen, M. and S. MacWilliam, Indigenous Capital in Kenya: The 'Indian'Dimension of Debate, Interkont Books 8, Institute of Development Studies, University of Helsinki, 1996,245 pp

References

1 2 MacWilliam, Scott (June 2000). "Michael Philip Cowen (1945–2000)" (PDF). African Studies Review & Newsletter. 22 (1). African Studies Association of Australasia and the Pacific: 1–2. Retrieved July 15, 2026.
↑ Kay, Geoffrey (2000). "Michael Cowen". Historical Materialism. 6 (1): 145–147. doi:10.1163/156920600794750900.
1 2 Shenton, Bob (2000). "Mike Cowen (1945–2000)". The Journal of Peasant Studies. 27 (4): 160–167. doi:10.1080/03066150008438752.
↑ Kay, Geoffrey (February 28, 2000). "Obituary: Michael Cowan [sic] Counting the Cost of Global Development". The Guardian. p. 20.
↑ Gould, Jeremy; Koponen, Juhani (February 24, 2000). "Kosmopoliitti tutki kehitysmaita: Professori Michael P. Cowen" [A Cosmopolitan Scholar of Developing Countries: Professor Michael P. Cowen]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved July 17, 2026.
↑ Johnson, Sundra (1996). "The Black Scholar Books Received". The Black Scholar. 26 (2): 63-68. JSTOR 41068672.
↑ "Medical Birthday Honours". The British Medical Journal. 2 (5763): 720–721. June 19, 1971. JSTOR 25414877.
↑ Glassman, J. (2001). MP Cowen and RW Shenton, Doctrines of Development. Ethics, Policy and Environment 4:283-285.
↑ Williams, G. (2000). Doctrines of Development. Review of African Political Economy, 27(83), 147.
↑ Bernstein, Henry. (2006) "Studying development/development studies." African Studies 65, no. 1 : 45-62.
↑ Gibbon, Peter (1997) Book Review: Indigenous Capital in Kenya: The 'Indian' Dimension of Debate, by Michael Cowen and Scott MacWilliam, The Journal of Peasant Studies, Volume 24, 1997 - Issue 3 pages 180-182
↑ Chege, Michael (1997) Book Review: Indigenous Capital in Kenya: The Indian Dimension Of The Debate . Africa Today; Bloomington Vol. 44, Iss. 2, (Apr-Jun): 265-268.

[MacWilliam2000-1] 1 2 MacWilliam, Scott (June 2000). "Michael Philip Cowen (1945–2000)" (PDF). African Studies Review & Newsletter. 22 (1). African Studies Association of Australasia and the Pacific: 1–2. Retrieved July 15, 2026.

[2] Kay, Geoffrey (2000). "Michael Cowen". Historical Materialism. 6 (1): 145–147. doi:10.1163/156920600794750900.

[Shenton2000-3] 1 2 Shenton, Bob (2000). "Mike Cowen (1945–2000)". The Journal of Peasant Studies. 27 (4): 160–167. doi:10.1080/03066150008438752.

[4] Kay, Geoffrey (February 28, 2000). "Obituary: Michael Cowan [sic] Counting the Cost of Global Development". The Guardian. p. 20.

[5] Gould, Jeremy; Koponen, Juhani (February 24, 2000). "Kosmopoliitti tutki kehitysmaita: Professori Michael P. Cowen" [A Cosmopolitan Scholar of Developing Countries: Professor Michael P. Cowen]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved July 17, 2026.

[6] Johnson, Sundra (1996). "The Black Scholar Books Received". The Black Scholar. 26 (2): 63-68. JSTOR 41068672.

[7] "Medical Birthday Honours". The British Medical Journal. 2 (5763): 720–721. June 19, 1971. JSTOR 25414877.

[8] Glassman, J. (2001). MP Cowen and RW Shenton, Doctrines of Development. Ethics, Policy and Environment 4:283-285.

[9] Williams, G. (2000). Doctrines of Development. Review of African Political Economy, 27(83), 147.

[10] Bernstein, Henry. (2006) "Studying development/development studies." African Studies 65, no. 1 : 45-62.

[11] Gibbon, Peter (1997) Book Review: Indigenous Capital in Kenya: The 'Indian' Dimension of Debate, by Michael Cowen and Scott MacWilliam, The Journal of Peasant Studies, Volume 24, 1997 - Issue 3 pages 180-182

[12] Chege, Michael (1997) Book Review: Indigenous Capital in Kenya: The Indian Dimension Of The Debate . Africa Today; Bloomington Vol. 44, Iss. 2, (Apr-Jun): 265-268.