Cornell has long been a leader in the area of population studies applied to developing countries. In 1962, Joe Mayone Stycos founded the International Population Program, later re-named the Population and Development Program (PDP). Training and research in this program addresses population issues of interest to the United Nations and the World Bank, as well as to national, state and local governments. PDP, housed in the Development Sociology Department, promotes collaboration among scholars of diverse disciplines who teach and conduct research on population issues. The PDP supports graduate training in demography for students from throughout the world and an undergraduate concentration in population studies. To view more about the program, click here.

An example of PDP’s international reach in demographic training is the Cornell@IFORD project that supports the training of population scientists in sub-Saharan Africa.  This program is a collaboration with the African Institut de Formation et de Recherche Démographiques (IFORD). It supports new initiatives in demographic research, teaching, and policy dissemination in francophone Africa. Cornell@IFORD's mission is to improve IFORD’s research infrastructure, mentor IFORD students and supervise their research, and support the development of joint research projects. Through this project, Cornell affiliates work to update curricula, offer summer courses, and prepare the ground for successful graduate study for promising IFORD students. Cornell@IFORD supports IFORD in its efforts to disseminate research findings and serve as a resource for population NGOs and the media, while raising its expertise in conducting more rigorous policy analysis.  For more information on the The Cornell@IFORD Project click here.