At the University of Cambridge's Centre of Development Studies, we are deeply attuned to global challenges and injustice. Inequality, uneven life chances, and stratified economies make it difficult for the global majority to thrive.

The study of development, and its rigorous reflection and practice for how to reach a world of equitable opportunities, is essential to understanding today’s interconnected world, with its freedoms as well as its divisions and constraints. Our shared mission is to generate solutions that promote equity, sustainability, and opportunity for all.

The Centre’s legacy of excellence in development research and teaching dates back to the 1930s, when future pioneers of the field studied here under the guidance of John Maynard Keynes. Today, as the Centre continues to evolve, we continue a proud tradition of challenging assumptions, offering new pathways for change, and equipping those who see the world’s status quo as insufficient, with the tools to rethink and reshape it. We offer an interdisciplinary graduate programme that prepares the world’s most promising students to tackle critical global issues, whether they be immediate and pressing, such as climate change, or deeply entrenched, such as uneven global development.

Our goal is not to teach a vocation. Rather, we equip students to understand the complexity of global challenges, critically examine prevailing assumptions, and engage thoroughly with systemic issues.

It is with this kind of preparation that the students of Cambridge Development Studies have gone on to lead groundbreaking initiatives in transformation, reform and justice.

We find our alumni in the most distinctive places: from leading sovereign wealth funds to driving decolonisation efforts, from spearheading global labour movements to advancing green energy cooperation.

Why CDS postgraduate scholarships matter

Cambridge Development Studies attracts the brightest minds. Yet far too many of the most promising are unable to accept our offers of admission due to financial constraints. Many aspiring scholars, whether in our MPhil or PhD programmes, face significant funding barriers

These prospective students come from diverse backgrounds, and often from regions most impacted by the very challenges they seek to solve. For them, a scholarship is not just financial support—it is a gateway to opportunity, a bridge to impactful careers, and a chance to drive meaningful change in the world. The Development Studies Postgraduate Fund was established to address this gap, providing essential financial support for tuition, research, and fieldwork.

The Fund ensures that the future of Cambridge Development Studies remains diverse and inclusive, empowering brilliant minds from all backgrounds to become the next generation of leaders who will address global inequalities and shape the future of sustainable development.

With your support, future scholars and global leaders will be catalysed to drive positive change, amplifying their Cambridge education on a global scale.

Join us in building a brighter future

By investing in our postgraduate scholarships, you are not only changing the lives of individual students but also contributing to solutions for the pressing challenges facing humanity. Together, we can create opportunities for talented individuals, regardless of their financial circumstances, to pursue their passion for development studies and make a lasting impact on the world.