The Doctoral Programme North-South (DONOS) offers an interdisciplinary perspective on the dynamics of social, political and cultural change in Europe and the ‘global South’ (with a focus on Africa, the Middle East, Central and South Asia). Drawing on conceptual and methodological insights from political science, sociology, African studies and Islamic/Middle Eastern studies, it focuses on violent conflict and peacebuilding, statehood, identity formation through the appropriation (or rejection) of social and cultural norms, as well as on the perception of and reaction to natural and man-made hazards.

Doctoral students in political science, sociology, African studies and Islamic/Middle Eastern studies affiliated to DONOS will benefit from both training in a specific subject matter and exchanges with related academic disciplines. As a member of the International Graduate School North-South. DONOS offers doctoral students integration into a vast network of academic institutions in Switzerland and eight regions in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe with a long-standing experience in research on global change and sustainable development.