Establishing an International Joint Doctoral Network for Sustainable Development

In this project, Wexsus is collaborating with Chalmers University of Technology to jointly develop an application to Horizon Europe, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – Doctoral Networks. The aim is to establish an international doctoral network focused on sustainable development, in cooperation with partner universities in the IDEA League and selected African countries.

The planned network will lead to an application for what is known as a Joint Doctoral Network. The goal is to train early-stage researchers in interdisciplinary methods highly relevant to the green transition, particularly in areas such as energy and urban environments. The research will be conducted in close collaboration between African and European universities, with strong links to societal challenges in Africa, Europe, and globally.

The network is expected to include around ten doctoral projects and a shared training programme. Each doctoral project will be developed under the guidance of a supervision trio, consisting of two European and one African researcher, with the ambition to create interconnected projects that combine academic excellence with societal relevance.

A dedicated training package will be developed as part of the doctoral education. It will provide the doctoral candidates with in-depth knowledge of transferable skills, interdisciplinary approaches, sustainable development, and gender perspectives in research and professional contexts. The training programme will include both in-person sessions and a joint webinar series.

A distinct feature of the programme is work-integrated learning in collaboration with University West, as well as actors from industry, civil society, and the public sector. Doctoral candidates will be offered internship opportunities in various sectors, where they will work on real-world challenges linked to sustainable development.

This initiative builds on the experiences from the AMBITION – AMBassadors for sustainable transITION project, in which Wexsus has participated through Chalmers. AMBITION is a Joint Honours Programme for PhD students focused on the sustainable transition in Europe and Africa, and will conclude in 2025. The lessons learned from the AMBITION project form an important foundation for taking the next step toward a permanent Joint Doctoral Network.

The planning grant from Vinnova enables the development of a full proposal to the EU programme, with the aim of opening and filling doctoral positions following a successful main project application.