The Doctoral Program in Developing Country Studies (DCS) of Tsinghua University was established in 2011, with the aim of cultivating academic researchers with a China-oriented perspective, a global outlook, and an understanding of the perspectives of the countries and regions under study, as well as a strong command of cutting-edge theories and methods in area studies and in-depth knowledge of developing countries or regions.

This is a multidisciplinary doctoral program with a primary focus on the humanities and social sciences. It admits doctoral students with a strong academic interest in developing countries or regions and a commitment to pursuing research on one or more such countries as their academic career.

Through specialised study in China and abroad, as well as extended periods of fieldwork overseas, doctoral students develop an in-depth understanding of specific aspects of the politics, economy, culture, foreign relations, and other dimensions of their target countries or regions, and acquire the ability to produce high-quality research achievements.