Research partners

The Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) is an interdisciplinary research centre of the University of Bern. CDE works to promote sustainable development and solve problems related to global environmental, social, and economic change. Together with partners in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America, CDE establishes sound knowledge from which innovative concepts and solutions are drawn for the sustainable use of land and water resources, and the identification and reduction of disparities. CDE also offers a range of services based on its research. These include consulting, teaching, and the development of geoinformation products for planners and decision-makers.

The Interdisciplinary Center for Gender Studies (Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Geschlechterforschung IZFG) is a research institute based at the University of Bern, functioning as a cross-faculty institute. The research activities of the Centre are focused on globalization, human rights, sustainable development and governance as well as feminist movements in a transnational and transcultural perspective. It was founded in 2001 by Brigitte Schnegg.

National University of Laos (NUOL) is the leading university in Vientiane capital of Laos. It was founded in 1996 after the merger of several existing colleges. The mission of NUOL is to offer teaching, research, academic knowledge and cultural preservation. Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) is one of 11 faculties of National University. The faculty is composed of 5 teaching departments: Politics and Public Administration, Geography and, History and Archaeology, Tourism and Hotel Management, and Social Works and Development. Research is carried out by the faculty members in collaboration with various agencies. The faculty has good reputation in conducting the research on various thematic areas such as rural economic development, livelihood change and adaptation, social impact evaluation, poverty reduction, gender and migration. The research findings are shared with the government of Laos through various channels in order to contribute to economic development and to poverty reduction in Lao PDR.

Nepal Centre for Contemporary Research (NCCR) is a non-profit making research organization based in Kathmandu, Nepal. NCCR conducts research in different contemporary issues with six clusters : (a) Conflict, peace and human security (b) Migration, mobility and development, (c) Post conflict state building and governance, (d) Livelihoods and globalization processes  (e) Environmental and resource conflict-governance, and (f) Agriculture, land and agrarian transformation. In collaboration with world-renowned research institutions, NCCR has been conducting a number of research projects.

The main objectives of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) is to reduce hunger and poverty, and improve human nutrition in the tropics through research aimed at increasing the eco-efficiency of agriculture. CIAT’s staff includes about 200 scientists. Supported by a wide array of donors, the Center collaborates with hundreds of partners to conduct high-quality research and translate the results into development impact. A Board of Trustees provides oversight of CIAT’s research and financial management.

The CIDES was created in 1984 as a multidisciplinary experience. CIDES is pioneer in Development studies at the graduate and post-graduate level in Bolivia.  Its work focuses on the four dimension of development: political, social, economic, as well as cultural and rural. The CIDES is the first programme in Bolivia articulates various academic disciplines  from social sciences. The CIDES mission is to provide training on development and contribute, through research and social interaction, to the intellectual debate on the several challenges faced by Bolivia and other Latin American countries.