• Transformation

    Current global crises call for socio-ecological and societal transformation. Beyond technological innovations, we need to fundamentally rethink the way we relate to our ecosystems and to each other.

  • Dialogue

    We bring together actors across sectors, regions and disciplines, in order to achieve a transition towards sustainability.

  • Research

    We create a platform for BOKU scientists and national and international academic and civil society partners, co-designing research and working jointly towards achieving sustainability.

  • Transformative Learning

    Together with students, academic and civil society actors, we use co-learning to understand specific contexts and identify leverage points for change.

  • Gender and Intersectionality

    We apply intersectional and feminist approaches to uncover different dimensions and scales of inequality and discrimination.

  • Partnerships

    We foster strong partnerships in academia and beyond.

IDR on Bluesky

IDR on Instagram

Tropentag 2024: International Conference on Climate Crisis, Hunger, and Poverty Reduction

Under the motto “Explore Opportunities ... for Managing Natural Resources and a Better Life for All”, one of the most important international conferences in Europe on the global climate crisis, hunger and poverty reduction took place at BOKU from September 10th to 13th, 2024.

IDR on Facebook
© Stefanie Lemke

Workshop: Maasai and nature conservation

Decolonial visions of conservation that are inclusive and people-led were discussed during Tropentag 2024 at a workshop co-hosted by the Maasai International Solidarity Alliance (MISA), IDR and Austrian Development Agency, highlighting how conservation areas have led to mass displacement of local Indigenous Peoples, featuring the grabbing of Maasai land in Northern Tanzania as a case study.
(c) Christoph Gruber

BOKU Diversity Award for Research for Christina Plank and Lisa Lorenz

Christina Plank and Lisa Lorenz got awarded BOKU’s first diversity price for research in June 2024 for their project “Climate-social Linz”.

Register now for Tropentag 2024 at BOKU

Tropentag, the annual interdisciplinary conference on research in tropical and subtropical agriculture, natural resource management and rural development will be taking place at BOKU on 11.-13. September 2024.
(c) Lemke

Austrian Prize for Development Research 2023

On February 27th, 2024, the Austrian Prize for Development Research 2023 was awarded to Dr. Karin Fischer and Prof. Walter Sauer by section head Mag. Barbara Weitgruber and OeAD managing director Jacob Calice. Clemens Bohl received the Junior Researcher’s Prize. Prof. Dr. Stefanie Lemke, head of the Institute for Development Research and chair of the selection committee, delivered the laudatory speech for the main prize winners.
(c) Annette Braun

Congratulations Dr Laura Hundscheid!

Dr Laura Hundscheid, team member at IDR, has successfully defended her dissertation with the title “The sustainable protein transition in Austria - a contribution to achieve the SDGs” on 18th March 2024. We congratulate her on her outstanding achievement and excellent scientific contribution.
(c) Annette Braun

"Climate-social Linz" in Radio FRO

How could climate-social and transformative futures look and feel like? In the interview with Radio FRO, project coordinator Lisa Lorenz talks about the applied and transdisciplinary project "Climate-social Linz".
Foto Credits: Sigrun Prenner

The Green Plate Forum - Nomination for the 2023 BOKU Sustainability Award

A student-led event from the lecture “Applied Development Research II” offered by IDR under the lead of Andreas Melcher, Laura Hundscheid and Andreas Bauer reached the shared second place for BOKU sustainability award in the category "Education for Sustainable Development".

Sustainability Breakfast with Stefanie Lemke

The Institut für Umwelt, Friede und Entwicklung (IUFE) spoke to Stefanie Lemke in their podcast about the Sustainable Development Goals, development cooperation and climate & environmental protection.

About us

Working with actors from science, practice, civil society, policy and the private sector we co-create andmobilise scientific knowledge for sustainable development.

We engage in research with partners, among other regions in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe, and facilitate transformation processes towards sustainable food systems as well as sustainable management and governance of natural resources. 
 

IDR integrates competence in development research and global cooperation at BOKU, among others by coordinating the BOKU-Cluster for Development Research. We are active in international networks such as Agrinatura, the AfricaUniNet as well as the Alliance of Sustainable Universities in Austria.


Our approaches are transdisciplinary, participatory, gender-transformative, intersectional, human rights-based and political-ecological. 

We work in three closely interlinked thematic areas:

System analysis and modelling

We analyse and model socio-ecological systems in different regions to enable change towards sustainability.

Food and nutrition sovereignty

We work towards the transformation of our food systems, foregrounding the human right to adequate food and nutrition.

Transformative learning

We explore and facilitate transformative learning processes in the context of sustainable development – at community level, in multi-actor settings and in higher education.

Management and Administration

Head

Univ.Prof. Dr.
 Stefanie Lemke
Deputy

Mag. Dr.
 Lorenz Probst
Secretary

Bianca Reitter

Addresses & Contact

H93400 Institute of Development Research

IDR Institute for Development Research
Peter-Jordan-Straße 76/I
1190 Wien

Contact:
https://boku.ac.at/en/nas/idr
Tel.: +43 1 47654-93400
idr(at)boku.ac.at

Info: IDR Institute for Development Research / Institut für Entwicklungsforschung

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