Ferdi

Independent and not-for-profit, FERDI  provides a forum for reflection and discussion by welcoming expertise from both the Global North and Global South. It advocates for vulnerable countries in shaping the international architecture for development financing, and contributes its expertise to the formulation of public policies that promote sustainable and inclusive development.  

• To contribute to international debates by ensuring that countries' economic, social and climate vulnerabilities are taken into account in international development financing.
• To provide analysis and policy recommendations on diversifying sources of financing for sustainable development. 
• To support public decision-makers in designing public policies and mobilising domestic fiscal resources. 
• To strengthen the capacities of development stakeholders by offering, through its training institute (IHEDD), a range of programmes related to sustainable development. 
• To produce analyses and develop data resources on key sustainable development issues, including sustainable competitiveness indicators, telecommunications taxation, the mapping of impact investors, and a simulation tool for sharing mining revenues between governments and investors. 
• To support the scientific publications of researchers from the Global South, notably through the Revue d'économie du développement.

• Intellectual Independence
• Scientific Rigour 
• International Solidarity

• Recognised expertise in sustainable development policies
• An international network of researchers, policymakers and practitioners 
•  The ability to bridge research, training and public policy 
•  Partnerships rooted in the realities of countries in the Global South 
•  Innovative analytical tools, data and indicators

• Conducting research through eight thematic programmes and five research chairs
• Publishing books, reports, working papers and policy briefs in French and English 
• Publishing articles in peer-reviewed journals 
• Organising conferences, seminars and workshops 
• Providing recommendations to policymakers and international development stakeholders, including the United Nations, the European Commission, the OECD, the World Bank, regional development banks and development agencies 
• Presenting research at international conferences 
• Delivering executive education and professional training programmes through the Institute for Advanced Studies in Sustainable Development (IHEDD)

The Clermont-Ferrand International Development Hub (Pôle clermontois de développement international – PCDI) serves as a collaborative platform focusing on research, training, capacity building, policy dialogue, and global cooperation for sustainable development. It provides a vital forum for reflection and exchange, welcoming expertise from both Northern and Southern perspectives. The PCDI plays a unique role in shaping global policies and fostering local solutions to contemporary challenges in sustainable development amidst a shifting geopolitical landscape.

This initiative is a result of collaboration between 3 institutions dedicated to international development: FERDI, CERDI, and Global Development Network (GDN). It receives support from the French government (Ministry of the Economy, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, through the French Development Agency), as well as from local and regional authorities (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Puy-de-Dôme department, Clermont Auvergne Métropole), Université Clermont Auvergne, and the Michelin Corporate Foundation.

On 4 April 2024, the PCDI was officially inaugurated in the presence of Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, Secretary of State for Development and International Partnerships; William Roos, Head of the Multilateral Affairs and Development Department at the French Treasury; Rémy Rioux, Managing Director of the Agence française de développement; Florent Menegaux, Chairman of Michelin Group; Mathias Bernard, President of the Université de Clermont Auvergne; and representatives from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Puy-de-Dôme department and Clermont Auvergne Métropole. 

FERDI plays a significant role in shaping the scientific policy of the Clermont-Ferrand region through its collaboration with the new Université de Clermont Auvergne, an experimental public institution leading the I-Site CAP 20-25 initiative of excellence. 

The Université de Clermont Auvergne unites all higher education and research stakeholders on its campus: EPSTs, schools, CHU (teaching hospitals), CROUS (student services), research centres, foundations, and major companies like Michelin and Limagrain.

CAP 20-25 I-Site designates Université de Clermont Auvergne as one of France's 17 universities of excellence with a robust international strategy. 

FERDI contributes to this collective effort through its leadership of the IDGM+ project (Initiative for Development and Global Governance), a labex established in 2011 to advance sustainable development policies based on research. IDGM+ operates in partnership with CERDI (Centre d'études et de recherches sur le développement international - UMR UCA-CNRS-IRD) and the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI). 

Through IDGM+, FERDI brings its extensive international expertise as a think tank to support public policy development.

In 2023, institutional changes at Université de Clermont Auvergne expanded the board responsible for managing all CAP 20-25 excellence programs. FERDI holds a seat on this expanded board.

FERDI's commitment to the Clermont-Ferrand site is further underscored by the establishment of the PCDI.