PhD Programme on Innovation, Economics and Governance for Development


UNU-MERIT — A truly global institute

Ranked Top 5 worldwide in 2021 among:


We Are

Independent but deeply embedded within Maastricht University. UNU-MERIT’s staff come from over a dozen countries including Argentina, Jordan, Senegal and China; while our PhD fellows hail from 38 countries including Bolivia, Iran, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.


Career Perspectives

Our alumni go on to work at the highest of levels: from the OECD in Paris, to UNICEF in Florence, to UNIDO in Vienna; across government ministries in Ecuador, Peru and beyond; and at the leading edge of academia with the Universities of Oxford, Cape Town and MIT.


International Study Environment

Find out more about our 80+ full-time PhD fellows, from their research themes to career ambitions — and see below for their countries of origin.



UNU-MERIT