ZEF background and mission
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.
Academic research and publications
ZEF researchers and their partners around the world conduct cutting-edge academic research and publish regularly in high-impact international peer-reviewed scientific journals. Research findings are also presented at international conferences. In addition, ZEF publishes its own series of ZEF Discussion Papers and ZEF Working Papers, complemented by publications for a broader audience (ZEF News, Blog, ZEF Policy Briefs).
An overview of published ZEF PhD theses can be found here and a list of a list of current PhD theses here.
Policy dialogue and public awareness
ZEF maintains an active dialogue with representatives of governmental and non-governmental institutions, national and international scientific and development cooperation organizations, and the private and business sectors.
The Center reaches out to a broader audience through a number of non-scientific publications, such as the ZEF News, as well as through regular events and the ZEF Public Lecture Series. ZEF researchers are also active in the media, see ZEF in the Press on our Website.
International networking
Collaboration with outstanding academics and scientists from research centers from research centers from all over the world, but, above all, in cooperation with countries in the Global South is an important part of the partnership effort. ZEF runs around 40 projects in 50 countries. About 50% of ZEF's staff are recruited internationally.
More than 120 junior researchers are enrolled in ZEF's Doctoral Program BIGS-DR (Bonn International Graduate School for Development Research). The nearly 500 doctoral graduates from around 80 countries who have participated in our Doctoral Program since its inception in 1999 form a world-wide alumni network.
Funding
ZEF's main donors are the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Research Council (DFG), the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMEL), the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUV), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the European Commission (EU), the Robert Bosch Foundation, the Volkswagen Foundation, and the Fiat Foundation, (BMUV), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Robert Bosch Foundation, the Volkswagen Foundation, Foundation fiat panis, the Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation, and many other organizations and governments through the support of some of our PhD students.
The graph on the left shows the number of projects ZEF has undertaken since it began its research activities in 1997.
Library
The ZEF library is open to the public:
| Monday - Thursday | 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. |
Contact: Volker Merx, librarian, phone # 49 (0) 228 73-1723
e-mail: v.merx(at)uni-bonn.de
Location: Ground floor, turn left in the entrance hall.
