Locations
UNDP Rome Centre and Science Po Partnership
UNDP collaborates with Sciences Po and its Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) to promote policy dialogue, applied learning, and student engagement in global development. The partnership focuses on key areas at the intersection of climate, energy, sustainable finance, and multilateral governance, bridging academic excellence with real-world policy and operational experience. Established under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2023, the partnership has been actively operationalised by the UNDP Rome Centre. It plays a central role in translating the agreement into concrete teaching, dialogue, and policy engagement activities, particularly in the context of the French G7 Presidency. The collaboration creates opportunities for aspiring development professionals to acquire practical skills while contributing to evidence-based policy discussions addressing global challenges.
About Sciences Po and PSIA
Sciences Po is a leading international research university, widely recognised as one of the world’s top institutions in the humanities and social sciences. Its Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) is a graduate school specialising in international relations, offering programmes that combine academic excellence with strong international exposure. With a diverse student body representing over 110 nationalities and a faculty composed of world-renowned academics and practitioners, Sciences Po consistently ranks among the top institutions globally in politics and international studies, holding the first position in Europe since 2020 according to the QS rankings. PSIA is particularly distinguished by its close links with the professional world, offering specialised courses taught by leading practitioners that integrate theoretical foundations with practical training.
The Partnership
The collaboration between UNDP and PSIA reflects a shared commitment to fostering informed, responsible leaders capable of addressing complex global challenges. By connecting academic learning with practical engagement, the partnership enables students to better understand how international cooperation, development finance, and global governance translate into concrete policy solutions. For UNDP, the partnership brings academic insight, research capacity, and access to a diverse pool of emerging professionals. For PSIA, it provides direct engagement with UNDP’s expertise, global networks, and operational experience, enriching the academic environment with real-world perspectives.
Key Initiatives
The partnership is structured around a set of initiatives designed to link academic knowledge with policy impact:
1. Teaching and Academic Integration
A central pillar of the collaboration is the corporate course on “Geopolitics and Global Governance of Sustainable Development”, delivered by UNDP senior experts. The course offers a comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of sustainable development, drawing on UNDP’s operational experience. It combines: conceptual lectures on international cooperation and development finance case studies and applied learning guest interventions by senior practitioners The programme culminates in a simulation exercise, where students represent countries in a multilateral negotiation, allowing them to engage directly with real-world policy dynamics.
2. Policy Dialogue and Engagement
Beyond teaching, the partnership actively promotes high-level policy dialogue. In the context of the 2026 French G7 Presidency, UNDP and PSIA co-organised a major event on 11 March 2026 focused on the future of sustainable development financing and the governance of international financial systems. The dialogue brought together: policymakers international organisations academia civil society and private sector actors to explore how financing mechanisms can adapt to an increasingly complex and fragmented geopolitical landscape.
3. Applied Learning and Student Engagement
The partnership offers students direct exposure to development practice, enabling them to engage with UNDP experts and gain hands-on understanding of global policy processes. This applied approach strengthens their ability to navigate the intersection of geopolitics, economics, and sustainability.
4. Research and Policy-Oriented Reflection
Through joint initiatives, the collaboration supports knowledge exchange and policy-oriented research on key development themes, including governance, sustainable finance, and international cooperation. This contributes to generating insights that can inform both academic debate and practical policymaking.
Looking Ahead
Building on its strong foundations, the UNDP–PSIA partnership is evolving into a long-term platform that connects academic excellence with policy engagement and international cooperation. By investing in talent, fostering dialogue, and promoting applied learning, the partnership contributes to shaping the next generation of leaders equipped to address global development challenges. Through this collaboration, UNDP and PSIA aim to support innovative solutions, strengthen policy capacity, and advance a more sustainable and inclusive global future.
