International Development Studies, IDS or IU in Danish, was established as an independent subject in 1985. This was done as a response to an increasing trend of internationalisation and globalisation as we later came to know it.

IU is pursuing an interdisciplinary approach to the development process. Only by realising that analysing the interdependent interrelationship between natural resources, environment, economy and social and cultural processes such as these are empowered by political movements and influenced by ethnicity and gender issues, embedded in social, cultural and political institutions, can we hope to understand the complexity of the development process. To strengthen this interdisciplinary approach, the IU Master Programme is a combination of IU with one of the other post-graduate study programmes at Roskilde University.International Development Studies covers a Masters Programme, a Graduate School (Ph.D. level) in "Cultural and Political Institutions in Development" and three research areas.

The Graduate School's Ph.D. programme aims at addressing and exploring the broad theme of Institutions and Conflict in Development. Political, economic and cultural institutions and conflicts are studied under an interdisciplinary angle, taking up the discussion at local, national and international levels. The term 'institution' is understood broadly within the programme with a focus on enduring patterns of behaviour arising from the way people organize themselves as individuals, groups, genders or classes to utilise and exploit material, social and human resources. The term further refers to formal as well as informal institutions, with a focus on the state in the broad sense, i.e. comprising also local authorities, legal institutions and the institutional framework for interaction between state and market as well as between state and civil society. In relation to the institutions of civil society, informal institutions are included as well. In geographical terms, the focus is on the developing societies in Africa, Asia and Latin America.