PhD research programmes

CURDS offers postgraduate research programmes for Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees. These research degrees are supervised by CURDS staff often in collaboration within the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology and are connected into the Humanities, Arts and Social Science Postgraduate Research Training Programme. The research programmes in CURDS are part of the Human Geography Pathway within the Durham University and Newcastle University Economic and Social Research Centre (ESRC)-funded North East Doctoral Training Centre.

Since its formation in 1977 nearly 60 students have graduated from CURDS PhD programmes, undertaking studies across a wide range of local and regional development topics. We welcome enquiries and proposals from applicants keen to pursue research across the broad spectrum of local and regional development in an international context. Our student profiles offer insights into some of the topics currently being studied, but more broadly recent examples include:

  • Regional evolution and resilience
  • Industrial path creation and regional development
  • Financialisation of urban development funding
  • Changing Patterns of Economic Migration in the UK: The Challenge of Community Cohesion to the Creation of Sustainable Communities
  • Knowledge in the UK videogames Development Sector: A Practice-Based Approach
  • Developing Technological Capabilities in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: A Study of the Role of Technology Policies and Support Agencies in Sri Lanka
  • Gender and Social Dimensions of Migration and Remittances
  • Network Europe: British-Polish Economic Networks and the Remaking of Europe
  • The Water Industry and Development in Zambia
  • Participatory Planning in the Madrid Region
  • Place Branding
  • Cities and the Knowledge Economy in China
  • Universities and Regional Development in the Knowledge Economy
  • Regenerating the Coalfields in South Korea: Lessons from Europe
  • Economic Evolution in North East England
  • Social Capital and Territorial Development Institutions and Policy
  • Transition and New Regionalism in the Balkans
  • Power and innovation Systems
  • Developing Northumberland's Natural Heritage Cluster: Potentials, Problems and Pitfalls
  • Overcoming the Digital Divide: Local Strategies for Creating an Inclusive Information Society
  • Venture Capital Networks in the North East and East Midlands

We welcome enquiries and proposals from applicants keen to pursue research across the broad spectrum of local and regional development in an international context.

For further information on postgraduate studies in CURDS, contact:

Professor Andy Pike
Tel: +44 (0)191 222 8011
E-mail: andy.pike@ncl.ac.uk