The International Graduate School (IGS) North-South is dedicated to advancing sustainable development worldwide and focuses on education at the PhD level to establish a leading international research network that analyses the impacts and opportunities of global change. The PhD programme emphasizes an integrative, partnership-based research approach, as well as innovation and application. More than 100 PhD candidates from around the world are currently enrolled.
The IGS North-South was developed within the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North-South. It is based on an inter-university agreement between the universities of Basel, Bern and Lausanne in Switzerland, and selected cooperation agreements with leading universities from countries in the global South and East. IGS North-South PhD candidates may attend courses offered by the school’s partner universities. The IGS North-South certificate “of Specialization in Sustainable Development” will supplement the degree they receive from their home institution.
In order to provide appropriate training, the IGS North-South offers disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary courses.
As the year comes to an end, we would like to take a moment to celebrate the outstanding researchers who successfully completed their PhD and the International Graduate School North-South this year.
Warm congratulations to:
We are excited to see the impact they will continue to make in their next chapters!
Research for whom? Whose knowledge counts? How can we make research practices more inclusive? And how can Citizen Science contribute to solving societal challenges?
This summer school focuses on the topic “Co-Creating Knowledge: Transforming Research Through Citizen Science”. Are you interested in Citizen Science and its participatory approaches? Are you a Master student, a doctoral candidate, a postdoc, or practitioner aiming to develop a Citizen Science project idea? Or already in the process of working on planning and implementation? This program will give you the tools, methods, and peer exchange to take your Citizen Science journey further.
Sun, 7 – Fri, 12 June 2026
Find out more and apply by Sun, 15 February 2026 here.
The revised Guide for Global Research Partnerships is now available.
The 6 principles for Global Research Partnerships point at the main pillars of global collaboration. Background information on each principle supports researchers, funders and practitioners in strengthening Global Research in practice.
We are thrilled to announce the IGS North-South Charter for Sustainability Education and Research.
This Charter is the result of a truly collaborative process, and reflects our shared commitment to fostering inclusive, interdisciplinary, and international learning environments that support transformations towards sustainable development.
The University of Bern is aware of the importance of scientific integrity. It not only ensures the integrity of its research activities but also actively promotes knowledge in this area. In addition to training courses in degree programs and graduate schools, it offers the online course “Research Integrity” to all members of the university. The course teaches the basic principles of good scientific practice and gives an overview of international standards of conduct. The course meets the training requirements of most funding agencies and journals. Further information
With the formulated recommendations this report presents an important source for the IGS North-South and other (doctoral) education programmes to strengthen the process of decolonizing academia.
North–South research collaboration is still largely determined by power imbalances between the global North & South. So, it’s high time to decolonize research. Read the interview with IGS Alumni Ravaka Andriamihaja, who investigated the issues at stake for the KFPE.