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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
Chrispinus Mutsam defended his doctoral thesis on Off-farm employment, gender, and nutrition in rural Africa.
Chrispinus Mutsam successfully defended his doctoral thesis on Off-farm employment, gender, and nutrition in rural Africa.
Chrispinus’ doctoral degree was granted by the Faculty of Agricultural, nutritional, and engineering sciences, University of Bonn.
His supervisor was Prof. Dr. Matin Qaim and his work was tutored by Dr. Martin Parlasca.
Chrispinus about his doctoral research: “Off-farm jobs are not a side story in rural Africa — they are central to reducing poverty, improving nutrition, and empowering women. But policies need to be gender-sensitive to make those opportunities real and accessible.”
iukamam 2050: New approaches to environmental peace in Colombia
Investigating and combining new and existing technologies with Indigenous knowledge systems – that is the aim of ‘iakumama 2050.’ The new research project by the Center for Development Research at the University of Bonn (ZEF) pursues the goal of developing scenarios for how humans and nature can live together in regions affected by armed conflicts and raw material extraction. The Volkswagen Foundation is funding the project, which begins in July 2026 and will then be funded for one and a half years.
ZEF junior research Tasneem Osman won Prize for Best Flash Talk at Conference
Tasneem Osman, junior researcher at ZEF, won the Prize for Best Flash Talk at the Conference Women and Girls in Science at the University of Namur in Belgium.
Tasneem got the highest ranking for her talk "From invasive plants to disease risk: an overlooked one health perspective", in which she managed to tell her story in four slides.
Valentine Opanga obtains doctoral degree for research on Nairobi's political ecology and governance of green spaces
Valentine Opanga, junior researcher with ZEF’s research group on Cultural and Political Change (ZEF CPC), defended her doctoral thesis on “The Political Ecology and Governance of Green spaces in Nairobi’s Informal Settlements” successfully today.
She obtained her doctoral degree from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Bonn. Her research was supervised by Professor Detlef Mueller-Mahn (Geography Department, Bonn University) and Professor Eva Youkhana (group leader ZEF CPC).
ZEF Research Projects
ZEF is running interdisciplinary research projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Upcoming Events
ZEF public lecture: Women’s Water Resources in India
Hybrid: Genscherallee 3, ...
01:30 PM - 02:30 PM
Based on the lessons from the Women’s Water Resources Council in India a women collective in the Trilateral Wadden Sea Research has been planned for 2025-2028. ...
INTERFACES Colloquium: Integrated Soil Fertility Management
Online only
03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Rainfed cereal production in northern Ghana is highly variable due to rainfall uncertainty, soil constraints, and low-input fertility management. Integrated ...
ZEF CPC Colloquium: iakumama 2050
Hybrid: Genscherallee 3, ...
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
This presentation will introduce “Iakumama 2050”, a new ZEF-CPC research project funded by the Volkswagen Foundation. Iakumama 2050 explores how “environmental ...