The research in the field of local development is specially important because it may contribute to the understanding of the processes and to the improvement of politics and intervention measures in the territory, thus contributing to improve its inhabitants’ quality of life. Likewise, researchers with the proper preparation in planning techniques, programmes management and assessment and cooperation projects are needed, capable of providing with solutions to the problems of development in different territories and countries.

Doctoral students will be invited to incorporate in their research project the gender cross-discipline as main promoter of development.

The interdisciplinary and interuniversity nature of this programme constitutes one of its main strengths. And although the former doctoral students’ short career has impeded so far to receive a Quality or Excellence Mention, the demand for enrolments has been increasing and relatively significant, since 88 students have been enroled from the beginning of the academic year 2009-2010 (from whom, 34 are foreigners, a proportion that has been kept throughout this period between a third and a fifty per cent out of the total).