GROW · Graduate Research On Worldwide challenges

GROW Graduate Research On Worldwide challenges is an international PhD programme that offers tomorrows leaders a unique opportunity to do high quality and novel research with supervision from globally renowned professors on pressing issues affecting the people of Africa, and make a real contribution to understanding and addressing worldwide problems. Research and innovation that is interdisciplinary, international and intersectoral (Triple-I) stands a better chance of understanding wicked challenges and producing creative and effective solutions. Thus, they can play a vital role in meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Currently the African continent has few R&D staff compared to other regions. With GROW we invest in training scholars with an understanding of the continent, while strengthening existing Africa Netherlands partnerships. Because academic and non-academic stakeholders are involved from the start collective learning and co-creation makes for deeper understanding of the challenges and their trade-offs, more detailed specs, earlier prototype testing, more opportunities for validation and transforming academic research results into real-world developments. As the science is complex and original, it can also be captured in high quality scientific papers. For GROW, 6 high ranking Dutch universities have joined up with 22 African academic and 16 non-academic partners so that 51 PhD students from anywhere in the world can pursue scientifically challenging research that in some way links LMICs in Africa with Europe. The possibilities are manifold, as fellowships are available in the Natural Sciences, Social Sciences & Humanities, and Engineering. The Triple-I design of the GROW programme offers the PhD students the chance to equip themselves with an advanced, future-proof set of scientific and complementary skills that they will take with them as they pursue high-flying careers in a world that is becoming ever more complex and interconnected.