Development Innovation and Sustainability

This academic program is a consolidated and forward-looking initiative of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), developed in response to increasingly complex development challenges in Asia and beyond.

It integrates the strengths of two established programs—Development Planning, Management and Innovation (DPMI) and Development and Sustainability (DS)—into a coherent, interdisciplinary, and practice-oriented program aligned with the SDGs and the people–planet–prosperity nexus.

Contemporary development challenges—including environmental degradation, climate variability, social inequality, food insecurity, and rapid socio-economic transformation— require professionals who can work across policy, innovation, governance, and sustainability domains.

Rooted in AIT’s long-standing tradition of development planning, the program provides strong foundations in policy, planning, project management, and participatory practice, complemented by an interdisciplinary sustainability perspective integrating social, economic, and environmental dimensions.

Core teaching and research areas include public policy and sustainable development, development planning and implementation, innovation systems for sustainability, climate change adaptation and resilience, environmental governance, socio-ecological systems and rural development, and inclusive and equitable development. The program draws on systems thinking, political economy, institutional theory, resilience and transition frameworks, and innovation and development studies, while emphasizing methodological rigor, ethical research practice, reflexivity, and critical thinking. It equips researchers, managers, practitioners, and policymakers with the theoretical and practical knowledge and competences needed to design, implement, and evaluate inclusive and sustainable development interventions across diverse contexts.

Program photo

Areas of specialization

  1. Development Planning, Management and Innovation (DPMI)
  2. Environment, Society and Governance (ESG)
Focus Area
  • Development Planning & Management
  • Development Policy, and Governance 
  • Poverty Reduction & Sustainable Livelihoods
  • Development Economics & Sustainability
  • Development, Equity, Inclusion & Social Justice
  • Institutions, NGOs & Development Management
  • Urban–Rural Linkages & Rural Revitalization
  • Socio-Ecological Systems & Resilience  
  • Social Innovation & Sustainable Development
  • Sustainable Agriculture & Rural Development
  • Climate, Environmental & Social Justice

Preferred Background

DIS welcomes applicants from diverse academic disciplines and professional backgrounds, especially those with interests in development planning, public policy and governance, sustainability and climate resilience, social innovation, socio-ecological systems, rural and agricultural development, and climate, environmental, and social justice. Candidates seeking interdisciplinary knowledge and skills for careers in academia, government, NGOs/CSOs, international organizations, or the public and private sectors are encouraged to apply.

Course Structure

  1. Development Policy and Practice
  2. Development Planning Workshop
  3. Social Innovation, Community Business and Sustainability
  4. Community Development Planning and Management
  5. Science, Society and Environmental Governance
  6. Social Impact Assessment
  7. Development Project Planning and Management
  8. Economics of Development and Policy
  9. Agriculture Development and Social Innovation
  10. Gender, Climate Change and Migration
  11. Public Policy
  12. NGO Management, Policy and Development Administration
  13. Socio-ecological Systems Approach and Adaptive Governance
  14. Qualitative Research Methods for Development
  15. Quantitative Research Methods for Development

Career Prospective

Graduates of the Faculty of Public Policy are equipped with interdisciplinary expertise that prepares them for a wide spectrum of professional pathways. The curriculum integrates analytical training, policy design, gender and social justice perspectives, and sustainable development frameworks—building a strong foundation of skills relevant across government, international development, civil society, and the private sector.

Students also gain managerial and leadership competencies that support careers linked to policy, development innovation, and organizational management.

Career Opportunities and Pathways

Career paths commonly include positions in: national, provincial, or local government; international organizations and development agencies; civil society and third sector organizations; NGOs; policy research institutes and think tanks; consulting firms; corporate social responsibility and private-sector development roles; academic and research institutions.

Graduates often advance to roles involving: policy formulation and implementation; policy monitoring and evaluation; evidence-based policy advisory work; program and project management; development planning and community engagement; leadership positions in government, NGOs, and international development.