Structural Constraints, Practical Possibilities: Reflections from a Graduate School in Development Research
(2026) In Högre utbildning 16(1). p.19-27- Abstract
- This essay reflects on the Development Research School, a research school launched in 2022 by Lund University, Uppsala University, the University of Gothenburg, and the University of Ghana. Using this case, the essay explores two central themes: how research schools can add value to PhD education, and the particular challenges of running such a school in the field of development research. Based on the experience of designing and implementing the school, the essay discusses four central challenges: recruiting and retaining PhD students, coordinating international and cross-institutional collaboration, delivering relevant content to a diverse student body, and ensuring longevity beyond the initial funding period. The essay also discusses the... (More)
- This essay reflects on the Development Research School, a research school launched in 2022 by Lund University, Uppsala University, the University of Gothenburg, and the University of Ghana. Using this case, the essay explores two central themes: how research schools can add value to PhD education, and the particular challenges of running such a school in the field of development research. Based on the experience of designing and implementing the school, the essay discusses four central challenges: recruiting and retaining PhD students, coordinating international and cross-institutional collaboration, delivering relevant content to a diverse student body, and ensuring longevity beyond the initial funding period. The essay also discusses the pragmatic strategies we adopted in response, including open recruitment, decentralized course delivery, flexible program design, and deliberate legacy planning. While our experience of running the Development Research School illustrates the potential of research schools to add value to PhD education, it also underscores the structural and financial constraints that limit their long-term integration and institutionalization. © 2026 Emelie Rohne Till, Kristina Jönsson, Anders Sjögren, Fredrik Söderbaum, Fred Dzanku, Suruchi Thapar-Björkert and Matilda Skoglöw. This is an open access article published by Cappelen Damm Forskning, the division for research publishing within Cappelen Damm Akademisk, and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY/4.0/), allowing third parties to share their work (copy, distribute, transmit) and to adapt it, under the condition that the authors are given credit, that the work is not used for commercial purposes, and that in the event of reuse or distribution, the terms of this license are made clear. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- This essay reflects on the Development Research School, a research school launched in 2022 by Lund University, Uppsala University, the University of Gothenburg, and the University of Ghana. Using this case, the essay explores two central themes: how research schools can add value to PhD education, and the particular challenges of running such a school in the field of development research. Based on the experience of designing and implementing the school, the essay discusses four central challenges: recruiting and retaining PhD students,
coordinating international and cross-institutional collaboration, delivering relevant content to a diverse student body, and ensuring longevity beyond the initial funding period. The essay also discusses... (More) - This essay reflects on the Development Research School, a research school launched in 2022 by Lund University, Uppsala University, the University of Gothenburg, and the University of Ghana. Using this case, the essay explores two central themes: how research schools can add value to PhD education, and the particular challenges of running such a school in the field of development research. Based on the experience of designing and implementing the school, the essay discusses four central challenges: recruiting and retaining PhD students,
coordinating international and cross-institutional collaboration, delivering relevant content to a diverse student body, and ensuring longevity beyond the initial funding period. The essay also discusses the pragmatic strategies we adopted in response, including open recruitment, decentralized course delivery, flexible program design, and deliberate legacy planning. While our experience of running the Development Research School illustrates the potential of research schools to add value to PhD education, it also underscores the structural and
financial constraints that limit their long-term integration and institutionalization. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/485fa5d3-9594-4f6d-9827-486e085e73f9
- author
- Rohne Till, Emelie LU ; Jönsson, Kristina LU ; Sjögren, Anders ; Söderbaum, Fredrik ; Dzanku, Fred ; Thapar-Björkert, Suruchi and Skoglöw, Matilda LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Högre utbildning
- volume
- 16
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 19 - 27
- publisher
- Swednet
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105038408947
- ISSN
- 2000-7558
- DOI
- 10.23865/hu.v16.7380
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 485fa5d3-9594-4f6d-9827-486e085e73f9
- date added to LUP
- 2026-03-25 10:53:21
- date last changed
- 2026-08-27 11:30:18
@article{485fa5d3-9594-4f6d-9827-486e085e73f9,
abstract = {{This essay reflects on the Development Research School, a research school launched in 2022 by Lund University, Uppsala University, the University of Gothenburg, and the University of Ghana. Using this case, the essay explores two central themes: how research schools can add value to PhD education, and the particular challenges of running such a school in the field of development research. Based on the experience of designing and implementing the school, the essay discusses four central challenges: recruiting and retaining PhD students, coordinating international and cross-institutional collaboration, delivering relevant content to a diverse student body, and ensuring longevity beyond the initial funding period. The essay also discusses the pragmatic strategies we adopted in response, including open recruitment, decentralized course delivery, flexible program design, and deliberate legacy planning. While our experience of running the Development Research School illustrates the potential of research schools to add value to PhD education, it also underscores the structural and financial constraints that limit their long-term integration and institutionalization. © 2026 Emelie Rohne Till, Kristina Jönsson, Anders Sjögren, Fredrik Söderbaum, Fred Dzanku, Suruchi Thapar-Björkert and Matilda Skoglöw. This is an open access article published by Cappelen Damm Forskning, the division for research publishing within Cappelen Damm Akademisk, and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY/4.0/), allowing third parties to share their work (copy, distribute, transmit) and to adapt it, under the condition that the authors are given credit, that the work is not used for commercial purposes, and that in the event of reuse or distribution, the terms of this license are made clear.}},
author = {{Rohne Till, Emelie and Jönsson, Kristina and Sjögren, Anders and Söderbaum, Fredrik and Dzanku, Fred and Thapar-Björkert, Suruchi and Skoglöw, Matilda}},
issn = {{2000-7558}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{19--27}},
publisher = {{Swednet}},
series = {{Högre utbildning}},
title = {{Structural Constraints, Practical Possibilities: Reflections from a Graduate School in Development Research}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.23865/hu.v16.7380}},
doi = {{10.23865/hu.v16.7380}},
volume = {{16}},
year = {{2026}},
}