PhD research
We train PhD researchers who can address the societal and technical challenges of a changing world.
PhD researchers at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development have an academic and social home in one of our five research groups. The institute is a fun and vibrant place to work, with an open, productive and supportive research culture that values inclusivity and a diversity of perspectives.
Revitalizing Arctic Indigenous food systems through inclusive, transdisciplinary approaches
Silja Zimmermann's first publication explores how inclusive, transdisciplinary and action-orientated research that acknowledges the complexity of Arctic food systems is crucial to help enable a sustainable future for Arctic Indigenous food systems.
A 100% circular fashion industry by 2050? Second-hand alone will not get us there
Denise Reike's PhD research highlights how second-hand reuse alone is not sufficient for the Netherlands to reach its 2050 circularity targets. We need to promote a range of different approaches to reach the goal of a sustainable and circular textile industry by 2050.
Campus Living Labs test new, transformative ways of thinking and doing
Harm van den Heiligenberg’s PhD research has provided a scientific basis to help us understand the conditions needed to make living labs for sustainability successful in urban areas. Claudia Stuckrath Alvarado is now zooming in to see how these hotbeds for experimentation can be used to bridge campus operations with academia, accelerating the transformation to a sustainable society.
Agriculture, food and degrowth: four avenues to pave the way to a sustainable food system
PhD candidates Leonie Guerrero Lara, Laura van Oers, Jacob Smessaert, Julia Spanier and Guillherme Raj propose a new research agenda exploring the questions degrowth researchers need to ask to advance the transition to a sustainable and just global food system.