Independent and not-for-profit, FERDI mobilizes high-level researchers in the field of international development and provides pertinent and innovative insights on key issues in development economics.
FERDI is particularly active on issues related to development effectiveness, sustainable development, and global governance.
FERDI's publications are supported by the French government as part of the France 2030 Investment Plan under the reference ANR-16-IDEX-001.
FERDI, the Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development was created in 2003 at the initiative of CERDI, the Center for Studies and Research on International Development. CERDI is the leading French research institution in development issues and remains a key scientific partner of FERDI. Patrick Guillaumont is the founder and President of FERDI.
FERDI's activities are guided by three core ambitions:
The Clermont International Development Hub (Pôle Clermontois de Développement International – PCDI in French) is being implemented by FERDI and the Global Development Network (GDN).
It has two strategic objectives:
- to increase the influence and influence of players with a similar vision of development at European and international level,
- to consolidate an internationally-focused centre of expertise in the Auvergne Rhone Alpes region and enhance the influence and attractiveness of the Clermont-Auvergne metropole.
The project is funded by the French Ministry of the Economy, Finance, Industry and Digital Sovereignty through the Agence Française de Développement and runs until 2027. The PCDI has three complementary components:
- a "capacity-building" component, including support for the Global Development Network to set up GDN-Europe in Clermont-Ferrand in premises in the immediate vicinity of FERDI,
- a "research" component to strengthen FERDI's think tank activities and enable it to achieve the critical mass it needs to become an international player in debates on sustainable development policies,
- a 'training' component implemented by FERDI's Institut des Hautes Études du Développement Durable, to enable it to expand its activities in France and Africa.
To mark its arrival in Clermont-Ferrand, the Global Development Network (GDN) organised its 2022 Annual Conference in partnership with FERDI and CERDI in Clermont Ferrand. It took place from 2 to 4 November 2022, on the theme of Tax Policy for Sustainable Development. Held in a hybrid format, it brought together over 900 participants from all over the world, including 250 in Clermont-Ferrand.
The Initiative for Development and Global Governance (IDGM) was launched in 2008 with the support of the French Development Agency (AFD). Its main objective was to establish an independent and prominent think tank focused on sustainable development, facilitated through the collaboration of FERDI and the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI).
Since 2011, the IDGM Labex has undergone expansion and consolidation through the creation of Labex IDGM+. This initiative is supported by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche and brings together CERDI, FERDI, and IDDRI. The aim of IDGM+ is to design new international development policies based on research findings.
By combining the expertise of two think tanks and a renowned research center which specialises in sustainable international development issues, this initiative aims to promote the dissemination of rigorous research results. Additionally, IDGM+ works closely with its partners' training activities to enhance the capacity of public and private decision-makers.
The IDGM+ is a stakeholder in the CAP 20-25 I-Site, a project of excellence led by the University of Clermont Auvergne and supported by France 2030 with the aim of creating a research university with a high international profile and making a major contribution to the scientific, technological, environmental, and behavioural changes needed to design sustainable living and production models.
The year 2022 was a turning point for IDGM+, whose future growth is now envisaged through the Pôle Clermontois de Développement International and takes into account the institutional changes at the Université Clermont Auvergne, which has the status of a public research establishment.
