About Us

Introduction & Background:

The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada and the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) invite fellowships applications from students intending to pursue Masters, MPhil and PhD degrees in South Asian universities in the fields of governance, security and justice. The program is open to nationals from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. SDPI will manage these fellowships in South Asia and the program focus is to address research gaps and analytical capacity in issues revolving around degree programs in governance, security and justice. SDPI’s Centre for Capacity Building will also coordinate for students, short term intensive training courses in research design, academic writing, field research, dissemination through advocacy and outreach. On the occasion of Sustainable Development Conference held annually in Islamabad, IDRC fellows will be given the opportunity to share their research findings during a multidisciplinary discourse.

Objectives:

The SDPI-IDRC Fellowships in Governance, Security & Justice in South Asia intend to produce highly skilled professionals, policy-makers, scholars and researchers on non-traditional security issues in the region. In particular, this program aims for: 

• Research on multidisciplinary areas currently not being focused by traditional university programs in South Asia.
• Research on non-traditional security threats in South Asia. These threats today originate from (but are not limited to) governance, conflict, economic and financial security, lack of education and health interventions, environmental security, food and livelihoods security, terrorism, human and drugs trafficking, piracy, illegal immigration, and information security.
• Research on cross-border issues of mutual interest in South Asia where multi-country case studies can help towards collective solutions.
• Allowing IDRC fellows to meet every year to network and collectively discuss and disseminate their research findings and to provide policy relevant advice to the governments and communities in South Asia. This will be an opportunity for these fellows to brainstorm key areas of interest through a multidisciplinary discourse.
• Providing short term intensive training courses for graduate and research students in research design, academic writing, data survey and analysis, research dissemination through advocacy and outreach.