In March, the second course held by the Development Research School was finalised. It had brought together a variety of scholars, with different backgrounds and from different disciplines. We asked three of the participants why they applied to the course, their experience and finally, if the course had any impact on their actual research.
Henock Yitbarek Zerezgi
Doctoral student at the Center for Regional & Local Development Studies (CRLDS), College of Development Studies, at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.
Why did you apply to the course?
- I applied to this course because it can help me understand the challenges and opportunities associated with sustainable development, including environmental, social, and economic issues. It can also provide insight into the policies and practices that are necessary to promote sustainability and reduce the negative impact of human activities on the planet. Overall, by taking a course on governance and sustainable development, I can gain a deeper understanding of how governance systems can support sustainable development and contribute to a better future for everyone.
What did you think of the course?
- It was different in a number of ways from other MOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). Such as its interactive methods and thoughtfully created reading materials, which help me review my research.
Will you, based on the course, incorporate the SDGs in your research?
- Yes, I will incorporate sustainability in my research, which investigates: "Power and Local development: Exploring Youth, State and NGO Relations in Ethiopia".
Parrendah Adwoa Kpeli
Doctoral student in the Department of Accounting, at the University of Ghana.
Why did you apply for the course?
- I wanted more insights into researching to promote sustainable development in Africa. My dissertation focuses on pandemic crisis accounting. The pandemic crisis has affected the achievement of global goals. I enrolled in this program to learn about global goal attainment, challenges to the goals, research resources, and comments to shape my dissertation.
What did you think of the course?
- Although the last week was quite packed, it was a very insightful course. I needed substantial justification on why a study about the pandemic crisis as a Ph.D. accounting Candidate is relevant, and this program provided that. This course introduced me to the themes of global goals (legitimacy, responsibility, Accountability, Power). I took a keen interest in the theme of Accountability because it reflected the topic of my proposed thesis.
Will you, based on the course, include SDGs into your research?
- Yes, I am conducting a study that fully contributes to the global goals and projects the notion of Accountability with sustainable development. The instructors also provided me with suggestions for data sources for my research. I am appreciative of that.
Emilia Ravn Boess
Doctoral student at the Department of Planning, Danish Centre for Environmental Assessment (DCEA), Aalborg University.
Why did you apply to the course?
- I am near the end of my PhD study and am in that regard looking for courses that help me in my synthesis. My PhD is about the implementation of SDGs within an environmental assessment practice (on a more local level), and I saw this course as an opportunity to extend my study to encompass alternative governance levels and better contextualize my research in the wider debate on localizing the SDGs. I also wanted to let myself be inspired by how other students use and relate to the SDGs in their studies.
What did you think of the course?
- I found the course helpful in understanding the political context of both developing and implementing the SDGs. The course provides good introductory insight into several dilemmas surrounding the implementation, and while remaining overall optimistic, also presents a critical view on the SDGs, which I think is crucial for fully understanding how we should continue working with SDGs in the future. It is also a good opportunity for meeting other PhD students from vastly different countries, disciplines and at different stages of their study. I would recommend it to anyone looking to bring new perspectives into their PhD.
Will you, based on the course, incorporate the SDGs in your research?
- This course has enriched my understanding of how governance levels influence their implementation and has also confirmed that there are societal potentials to be harvested in working with the SDGs, which I find to be a vital perspective when contextualizing my research.
Are you interested in our doctoral courses? The Development Research School offers four courses every year, they are all free of costs and most of them can be taken online. Read more here.
