Do you want your research to contribute to making the world a better place? Would you like to interact with doctoral students from all over the world? If yes, you should sign up for one or several of the GCUA 2030 PhD courses given every year. One is still open for enrollment this semester.
By the year 2050 the world´s population will exceed nine billion people. We need to solve the equation of meeting a growing demand for food while reducing its environmental impacts – and it all needs to be done under a changing climate. Research and innovation, translated into relevant action on a global scale is essential to meet these global challenges.
In these short PhD courses (1.5 ECTS each) given during each autumn, you will learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and enhance your ability to integrate the SDGs into your research and teaching. The courses will also cover aspects on how scientific knowledge can be translated into action by using the concept of Theory of Change (ToC), and how to measure impact of your research.
Agenda 2030: Synergies, conflicts, and assessment tools (1.5 ECTS)
The aim of this course is to allow the students to familiarise themselves with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to get an understanding of their implications for higher education and research. The course will foster awareness and understanding of different perspectives and priorities regarding sustainability in its three dimensions – social, economic and environmental – and in doing so will also introduce students to possibilities for further in-depth study in additional GCUA2030 courses (see below). The course will provide guidance on how to constructively identify and approach goal conflicts and discuss trade-offs and synergies central to achieving the SDGs. The students will apply tools that will help them to analyse and plan research projects that have potential impact with regards to the SDGs.
Dates: The course will be given during 4 weeks in total from 19 October to 18 November 2026 with 25% study pace. This course is equivalent to 5 days of full-time studies.
Designing research with impact using the Theory of Change approach (1.5 ECTS)
The aim of this course is for the students to learn how to apply the Theory of Change (ToC) approach that will allow them to plan for impact in research projects and help them analyze and describe potential impact of research.
Translating research into action is important for achieving the SDGs. This course will cover aspects on how scientific knowledge can be translated into action by using the concept of Theory of Change (ToC), and principles for tracking research impact. PhD students will apply the ToC framework using select case studies (or their own research projects) to learn how to design, plan, manage, and revise research projects for increased impact and relevance.
Dates: The course will be given over 4 weeks in total, from 19 November to 18 December 2026, with 25% study pace. This course is equivalent to 5 days of full-time studies. Synchronous meetings of the course will be held for 1-2 hours on on two occasions in the course.
Entry requirements
The courses is freely available to PhD students and postdocs, and in some instances teaching staff and Master's students, from universities in the Global Challenges University Alliance (GCUA 2030). Students from other universities may also potentially join, subject to the course fee and availability of places.
More information
Course participants should contact the focal point at their university to receive a promotion code to apply to the courses without charge.
