The Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) is a research and education center under the College of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities of Addis Ababa University. It was established through a NORHED-II project jointly run by Addis Ababa University and University of Oslo (Norway) with financial support from NORAD (the Norwegian Development Agency). The Center’s mission rests on three pillars: research, education and community engagement.

CSD offers a platform to conduct high-quality interdisciplinary research on priority development issues, thereby supporting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Ethiopia. Its research priorities are geared to the many dimesions of sustainability: namely, SDGs, governance for sustaianble development, climate change, green economy, sustainable markets, green infrastructure, sustaianble finance, sustainable cities and migration/mobility. The Center aims to undertake cutting-edge research on pressing local, regional and international concerns of economic, social, and environmental issues related to sustainability. Its research agenda is supported by a PhD program composed of students harking from various backgrounds that are reflective of the multidisplinarity nature of the progam. The Center also plans to launch an MSc program in the coming academic year. In addition to the professionalization of the workforce in the sustainability sphere, the research projects of its graduate students will be oriented to solving the tangible problems of the country. Evidence generated from researches will support national and sub-national public and government bodies with implementation of their policy directions. In order to achieve its goals, CSD will work cooperatively and collaboratively with both domestic and foreign partners.

Platform for researchers and thinkers

CSD serves as a platform to convene development thinkers and researchers across

various disciplines from global south and North in one place allowing them to do inter-disciplinary and multidisciplinary joint research work that primarily focuses on sustainable development.

Focuses on applied sustainability research

CSD undertakes various applied research initiatives that aims to solve societal problems at different scale. It implements the research initiatives in a project-based approach under identified thematic clusters in collaboration with partners. To achieve this objective, it forges partnership with relevant partners (including government agencies, research and academic institutes in and outside of Ethiopia) to mobilize resources, to transfer and adopt knowledge.

Policy informing output

CSD gives more attention to policy informing research (published as policy

briefing, working papers, peer reviewed journals and books) and organizes a series of seminars and international conferences on sustainability issues.