PhD Programme

Collaborative PhD Programme on the Politics of Sustainable Development

The ARUA–Guild Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) on the Politics of Sustainable Development is a collaborative initiative co-led by the University of Pretoria and the University of Oslo. The PhD programme is currently hosted at the Centre for Sustainable Development (CSD) at Addis Ababa University.

With 29 PhD candidates enrolled across three cohorts, the programme is designed to address urgent global challenges related to climate change and sustainable development through innovative, interdisciplinary research. It is closely aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, with a particular focus on governance for sustainable development and strengthening the science–policy–practice interface to support real-world impact.

Doctoral students engage with a wide range of pressing issues, including governance for sustainable development, urban sustainability, public health, clean energy transitions, and energy poverty.

The programme curriculum includes core modules that equip students with the skills and knowledge essential for doctoral research, such as research methodology, academic writing, and thematic courses on governance, human development, poverty, politics, and urban sustainability.

We are actively working to expand the programme through partnerships, creating opportunities for student exchanges and launching the programme at other institutions across the ARUA–Guild network.

Click here to see more information on the CSD website

Why This Programme?

Building on the extensive experience of CoRE and its partners in training African scientists and policymakers, this PhD programme integrates expertise from an international network of universities, including:

Addis Ababa University

University of Malawi

University of Nairobi

Stellenbosch University

University of Pretoria

UCLouvain

Utrecht University

University of Oslo

This PhD programme offers a unique opportunity to be part of a vibrant, international research community focused on some of the most critical challenges facing Africa and the world today. By combining academic excellence with real-world relevance, the programme prepares researchers to contribute meaningfully to sustainable development policy and practice across diverse contexts.

What sets this programme apart is its strong interdisciplinary foundation, its direct alignment with both global and continental sustainability agendas, and its commitment to bridging the gap between research, policy, and implementation. Students benefit from close engagement with leading scholars and institutions across Africa and Europe, as well as from a supportive, collaborative research environment.

Whether your goal is to influence policy, drive innovation, or lead academic and development initiatives, this programme provides the tools, networks, and perspective needed to make a lasting impact.

As part of our long-term vision, we aim to expand the programme across additional ARUA and Guild partner institutions. This includes creating new exchange opportunities for students and staff, supporting joint supervision, and exploring options to offer the programme in other institutions across the network—further strengthening our shared commitment to building a continent-wide research ecosystem for sustainable development.

Programme Objectives

This collaborative PhD programme aims to:

Train a new generation of scholars in interdisciplinary research, leadership, and evidence-based policymaking for sustainable development.

Provide a deep understanding of the political, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability.

Strengthen collaboration between African and global institutions, fostering mentorship, shared learning, and resource-sharing

Generate actionable research to address the pressing challenges of climate change and sustainable development.