I-BRAINS International PhD Programme

Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development is the University of Groningen, the Netherlands network organisation in the area of sustainable development. Sustainable development has many aspects, as well articulated in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. Sustainability is essentially about connecting: strengthening the relationship between people and nature and strengthening the connection between people in unequal circumstances. Our goal is to develop scientific knowledge and to bring existing expertise together more effectively, in order to bring sustainability closer.

What is I-BRAINS?

The Rudolf Agricola School has initiated the international interdisciplinary PhD program ‘Interdisciplinary BReakthrough Analyses IN Sustainability (I-BRAINS)’, to develop an innovative and interdisciplinary research environment which addresses the complex challenges in sustainable development.

• Excellence in a broad range of disciplines, including science and engineering, social science and humanities etc.
• Vast cooperation with relevant knowledge centres in the Netherlands, the EU and with leading centres around the world.
• Continuous dialogue with regional, national and international stakeholders.
• A strong interdisciplinary training environment, providing platforms for collaboration, fostering exchange of concepts and methods.

The I-BRAINS PhD program focuses on the following research themes:

(1) Democracy & Governance

(2) Development, Security & Justice

(3) Risk, Crises and Resilience

(4) Sustainable Landscapes and Regions

(5) Sustainable Technology

Applicant Profile

We welcome applicants for PhD scholarships from China (China Scholarship Council), Indonesia (LPDP), Mexico (CONAHCYT), Brazil (CAPES-PrInt), Chile (ANID) etc. You can check out our overview of potential PhD projects on this webpage.The I-BRAINS PhD Program can help you reach out to our researchers and set up an interdisciplinary project. You must meet the requirements of admission to the Graduate School that you will register for.

However, if you have your own ideas for a PhD project on the basis of your own motivations, you can also reach out to the I-BRAINS Program.

Contact

Interested candidates may inquire information of PhD positions can contact Wanli Zheng, Program Manager through ibrains rug.nl

Please use subject "project code + your name" in the email and provide the following documents:

• A motivation letter
• A research proposal that relates to one of the themes, outlining the research topic (minimum 2 A4 pages)
• Other support documents, e.g. CV, score of English test (IELTS or TOEFL).

Address

Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development | House of Connections, Grote Markt 21, 9712 HR Gronigen