Peace and Conflict Studies

The aim of the study programme is the interactive communication of knowledge about theories and methods of peace and conflict studies. On this basis, students acquire skills and expertise in the analysis of social and political contexts. The curriculum is focused on approaches that interrogate the causes of violent conflicts and make way for possibilities of transforming these conflicts. It is also focused on the investigation of tangible experiences of peaceful cohabitation and opportunities for the stabilisation and enhancement of non-violent conflict resolution mechanisms. The Peace and Conflict Studies programme focuses on the acquisition of theoretical and methodological skills from various disciplines; on the transfer of knowledge about different concepts, institutions, and instruments of peacebuilding, conflict transformation, and human rights policies; and on the development of analytical and practical skills in constructive conflict management. The programme is designed to enable students to closely analyse complex conflicts from different perspectives; to evaluate political strategies and ongoing projects in the fields of security, peacebuilding, and human rights; and to propose alternative methods of conflict resolution. Having finished this programme, students know how international organisations function and how peaceful forms of politics can be re-established in contexts once ruled by overt violence. Also, students learn about the means and ends of human rights policies in national and international contexts. Furthermore, they are able to develop constructive strategies to overcome stalemates in social conflicts by analysing their causes and discussing different options of solutions. The Peace and Conflict Studies programme in Magdeburg is characterised by a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates not only traditional theories of international relations but also psychological, sociological, anthropological and linguistic components. This allows graduates to assess conflicts from a variety of important perspectives. However, far from advancing a purely additive attainment of knowledge, the lecturers of the programme particularly aim at conveying methodological expertise. With regard to a future position in relevant occupational fields, the programme thus endeavours to foster the necessary theoretical aptitude as well as practical capacities. In order to acquire these skills, students are familiarised with socio-scientific methods of investigation as well as with political decision-making processes and mediation techniques that they practise in contexts such as operational simulations and conflict-management seminars. An internship in a pertinent institution is also part of the course.