Center for Development Research (ZEF)
ZEF is an international institute conducting interdisciplinary research on development-related issues all over the world. ZEF is part of the University of Bonn.
© Stellmacher/ZEF
International Doctoral Program (BIGS-DR)
ZEF hosts the Bonn International Graduate School for Development Research
© Pereira/ZEF
Research with the Global South
Our researchers conduct their (field) research in close collaboration with local partners from academia, policy and practice.
© Dürr/ZEF
Center for Development Research (ZEF)
International Doctoral Program (BIGS-DR)
Research with the Global South

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Center for Development Research

The Center for Development Research (ZEF) is an institute of the University of Bonn, Germany. It started its research activities in 1997. ZEF researchers aim to find science-based solutions to promote sustainable development and planetary health. ZEF’s research divisions and groups conduct inter- and trans-disciplinary research in, for and with emerging economies and on global issues with its collaborating research partners around the world. ZEF educates and trains international doctoral students in its Doctoral Studies Program. ZEF is guided by an International Advisory Board.

Latest News
© Amit Kumar
Right Livelihood College at ZEF organizes another workshop
On December 2-3, 2025, the Right Livelihood College at ZEF brought together 15 selected and invited international young researchers and global experts working on sustainable natural resource use, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and environmental justice at a workshop at ZEF. Contributions highlighted the varied socio-ecological pathways through which communities navigate environmental change and pursue more just, resilient futures.  
Dec 09, 2025
© Maria Llerena Pinto
ZEF and GIZ discuss and disseminate findings at workshop
December 1, 2025. The project team of „Agrifoodsystems Transformative Research and Policy Guidance” and their partners from the GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) project “Knowledge for Nutrition (K4N)” in Brussels held a hybrid workshop titled “Persistent stunting in Sub-Saharan Africa: local insights from three countries” at ZEF in Bonn. 
Dec 02, 2025
© ZEF
Micely Díaz Espaillat presented research at Congress of Social Sciences in Argentina
From November 5-7, 2025, ZEF junior researcher Micely Díaz Espaillat took part in the VI Latin American and Caribbean Congress of Social Sciences, organized by the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO). The congress took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  During the event, Ms. Díaz Espaillat presented her research paper titled “The Systematic Exclusion of Haitian Cane Workers from the Pension System in the Dominican Republic.” The abstract of her presentation and photographic documentation are provided below.
Dec 01, 2025
© ZEF
Right Livelihood College Workshop 2025
At ZEF Bonn, the Right Livelihood College Workshop 2025 brought together young researchers and global experts working on rural development, smallholder agriculture, and sustainable value chains. Supported by the DAAD German Academic Exchange Service with funds from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the workshop fostered rich dialogue and collaboration across disciplines and regions.
Oct 16, 2025
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ZEF Research Projects

ZEF is running interdisciplinary research projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America. 

Upcoming Events
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Thursday Dec 11, 2025
ZEF Public Lecture: Reframing Soil Knowledge
Genscherallee 3, 53113 ...
01:30 PM - 02:30 PM
From Extraction to Coexistence for a Sustainable Future Soils have always shaped our (agri)cultural practices and landscaped human life, yet we rarely ...
© Interaktiv GmbH
Wednesday Dec 17, 2025
CPC Colloquium: Transdisciplinary approach Human-Nature Relations
Genscherallee 3, 53113 ...
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
A transdisciplinary approach to Human-Nature Relations: The Case of Manos a la Cuenca in Colombia As part of the lecture on Human Nature Relationships and ...