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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
ZEF co-hosted Early-Career Symposium 2026 "Fractured Connections in the Caribbean"
The Society for Caribbean Research (SOCARE) 2026 Early-Career Symposium brought together scholars from across the Americas, Europe, and the Caribbean to explore the region's complex histories, cultures, and futures.
Colombian Inga ritual meets Rhine river
The recently initiated Iakumama project set off with flying start in Bonn.
During their one-week visit to Bonn, members of the Yachaikury School, an indigenous knowledge center located in the Amazon rainforest, in Caquetá and partners in the Iakumama project, conducted a ritual on the riverside of the Rhine near Bonn. The ritual was performed under the guidance of Waira Jacanamijoy, who is leading the Yachaikury School.
ZEF photo exhibition about the Konso people in Ethiopia
NEW: Photo exhibition in ZEF’s lobby (Genscherallee 3, 53113 Bonn). ZEF senior researcher Asrat Gella takes you on a visual journey to the people of Konso, living in the mountainous highlands of southwestern Ethiopia. The cultural landscape of Konso has been a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2011.
The photo exhibition shares impressions and information about the Kara ritual of the Konso. Learn more in the flyer (on display in the lobby too) or in the recording of the ZEF public lecture titled "Sacred Ecologies: The Kara Ritual of the Konso – Enacting Memory, Traditions and Power through the Generations" by Asrat Gella on June 11, 2026.
You can watch the recording of the ZEF public lecture on our youtube channel here.
Moving forward: ZEF junior-professor Lisa Biber-Freudenberger appointed full professor at Bonn University
On June 2, 2026 ZEF Junior-Professor Lisa Biber-Freudenberger received the official certificate of appointment from Bonn University's Rector Prof. Dr. h.c. Michael Hoch (see photo below). She was accompanied by her husband and son (see the photo at the bottom of the page).
Lisa's full professorship in "Biodiversity and Environmental Change" will take effect on July 1, 2026.
ZEF Research Projects
ZEF is running interdisciplinary research projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Upcoming Events
ZEF public lecture: Advancing Urban Climate Change Adaptation
ZEF, Genscherallee 3, ...
01:30 PM - 02:30 PM
Cities are at the frontline of escalating climate change impacts, particularly in regions where rising natural hazards intersect with growing socio-economic ...
ZEF CPC Colloquium: The cocoa society in Ecuador
ZEF, Genscherallee 3, ...
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
This research examines what I call the cocoa society in Molleturo, a rural parish in the Azuay province of southern Ecuador, as a specific socio-spatial ...