This PhD in Global Risk and Resilience will equip students with the skills and expertise to contribute critically and constructively to the aim of identifying, assessing, managing and/or mitigating global catastrophic risks.
Given the high degree of complexity and interconnectedness of global risks, interdisciplinary approaches are needed to allow for more holistic analyses. This, in turn, will necessitate introducing students from diverse backgrounds to research skills and specialist knowledge from a range of academic disciplines.
This PhD will train the next generation of researchers and leaders in global risk and resilience by:
providing them with a world-leading interdisciplinary research and education environment,
providing them with critical tools to engage with the forefront of academic knowledge, methods and applications in global risk and resilience,
developing advanced skills and abilities to identify, approach and address practical interdisciplinary research challenges,
providing them with opportunities to develop leadership skills, and
developing the ability and initiative to identify, address and approach relevant and complex challenges across industry, government and society.
The PhD provides students with the opportunity to carry out focused research under close supervision by domain experts from a wide set of disciplines at the University. At their core, the projects will be deeply embedded in global risk, catastrophic risk and existential risk. The students will have access to a wide variety of disciplinary expertise, afforded by the networks and collaboration their supervisors, the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER), and the Institue for Technology and Humanity (ITH), hold across the University and externally.
In addition to the world-class educational experience students will enjoy and to set them up for success after they finish their PhD, they will have opportunities to interact with visiting and affiliated researchers and engage in collaborative research and policy projects (where applicable). Finally, PhD students will be encouraged not just to attend events and conferences they find valuable for their own professional development, but to actively and independently organize research workshops or knowledge exchange activities themselves.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
By the end of the PhD programme our graduates will demonstrate:
The ability to create and interpret new knowledge, through original research or other advanced scholarship of a quality to satisfy peer review, extend the forefront of the discipline, and merit publication.
The general ability to conceptualise, design and implement a project for the generation of new knowledge, applications or understanding at the forefront of global risk and resilience, and to adjust the project design in the light of unforeseen problems.
A detailed understanding of applicable techniques for interdisciplinary research and advanced academic enquiry in the field of global risk and resilience.
The ability to synthesis and communicate complex issues in global catastrophic risk and relevant subdisciplines to both specialised and generalist audiences.
A critical perspective on the most pressing global risk challenges
Skills and other attributes
Graduates of the course will be able to:
Continue to undertake interdisciplinary, technical or applied research and development or a combination thereof at an advanced level, contributing substantially to the development of new techniques, ideas or approaches.
Communicate their ideas and conclusions clearly and effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences. Contribute constructively within national, international and interdisciplinary environments.
Transfer skills and qualities acquired during the programme to professional settings requiring collaboration and co-production of knowledge to reduce and govern global risk. Skills and qualities will also enable the acquisition, analysis and communication of complex information under conditions of uncertainty.
Employability
Students of the programme will graduate with a formal qualification in the rapidly expanding area of global risk and resilience, and specialist knowledge in one or more related subdisciplines (e.g. public health, AI governance), dependent on the project scope. The combination of specialist, technical and governance expertise in global risks involving a wide range of core disciplines means that our doctoral graduates will be uniquely qualified in the sector. The PhD will, therefore, put them in a strong position to pursue careers in a variety of academic and non-academic settings, for example international organisations, NGOs, governments and consultancies in diverse sectors such as technology, health, environment, education, journalism, and civil service, amongst others.
For those intending to continue into an academic career, the course will equip them with the skills, experience and qualification for applying for a postdoctoral or faculty position.
Continuing
Students currently studying for a relevant Master’s degree at the University of Cambridge are normally expected to obtain a pass in the MPhil by Research or a Distinction in the MPhil by Advanced Study. However, candidates with a Master’s degree awarded at a lower level, or first-class honours degree, may also be considered if they can demonstrate exceptional relevant experience.
All applications are judged on their own merits, and students must demonstrate their suitability to undertake doctoral-level research.
Open Days
The Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) will hold an online webinar in November 2026. Please see the CSER website for information on how to register for this event.
The University hosts and attends fairs and events throughout the year, in the UK and across the world. We also offer online events to help you explore your options.
Discover Cambridge: Master’s and PhD study webinars - these Spring events provide practical information about preparing a strong application for postgraduate study. Find out more on the Discover Cambridge webpage.
Virtual Postgraduate Open Days - taking place in November each year, the Open Days focus on subject and course information. Webinar recordings are available until May.
For more information about all upcoming events visit our events pages.