Event
UNIPID: Development Days DocShop 2026
Photo: Tapio Haaja/Unsplash
Date: February 25, 2026
Interested in the possibilities of doing development research beyond academia? On February 25, the Finnish Society for Development Research (FDSR), the Finnish University Partnership for International Development (UniPID) and the Doctoral Programme of Political Societal and Regional Changes (PSRC) University of Helsinki, invite to Development Days DocShop 2026 for PhD students and supervisors. The event will take place at the University of Helsinki and online.
DevDays 2026 DocShop aims to discuss opportunities to take global development research beyond academia in a time when the very foundations of “development” are fracturing and shifting conditions are reshaping the career pathways for PhD students.
With a discussion-based concept, the program will focus on what it means to translate development research into wider fields and how PhD graduates, regardless of discipline, can meaningfully contribute to shaping policy and practice in a moment of profound global uncertainty.
Key Questions to be discussed during the event
- How are today’s political, economic, and institutional crises reshaping researchers’ careers within and beyond academia?
- What avenues exist for development researchers to sustain their research interests despite increasing funding scarcity?
- How have the skills required of development practitioners evolved in a rapidly changing global development landscape marked by polycrisis?
Registration for SweDev members
As stated in the registration information, the event is mainly for UniPID DocNet members and SusTra doctoral researchers, but participation has also been extended to SweDev members. SweDev members are welcome to register using the regular form and to select “other” under affiliation (question 1) and specify “SweDev” in the following field (“if other, please specify”).
Registration closes February 15.