This programme is amongst the very few master-level offerings in the English-speaking world that direct the studies of global peace at the qualities of peacefulness, social justice, holistic well-being, good governance, and ecological integrity.

Meeting the growing needs for positive conceptions of peace, and for understanding the global nature of building peace in complex and dynamic contexts.

What you will learn

The curriculum is interdisciplinary and encourages students to move beyond perceiving peace as mere an absence of violence and conflict. It aims to inspire students to develop an in-depth understand of the principles and values underlying positive peace and identify good questions for inquiries concerning community processes, institutional practices, public policies, and structural conditions that can contribute to more peaceful world.

The programme ensures that the focus of students’ learning is grounded in their personal and professional interests and seeks to facilitate empirical research within multiple disciplines, such as dialogue studies, well-being, historical trauma and collective healing, conflict transformation, spirituality, harmony, ecology, and global citizenship.

The programme intentionally creates a learning community among the students, and embeds key pedagogical approaches involved in positive conceptions of peace, such as dialogue, listening, relational enrichment, and well-being practices, in the process of teaching and learning. It further offers an opportunity for students to advance research skills and capacities that contribute to knowledge about structural peace, social transformation, and community regeneration.

The Global Humanity for Peace (GHfP) Institute administers the MA in Peace Studies. The GHfP Institute is dedicated to positive peace and the core team has many years’ experiences in innovative approaches to peacebuilding in different parts of the world. The GHfP is also designated by the UNESCO Social and Human Sciences Sector to implement the UNESCO Collective Healing Initiative, including introducing intergenerational dialogue, collective healing workshops and a Future Leaders Academy.

Thus, the programme benefits from the GHfP Institute’s research, knowledge, and publications on positive peace, well-being, intercultural and interreligious dialogue, collective healing, community regeneration and good governance.

Throughout the programme, the GHfP Institute will be able to showcase the key work of the Institute of Education and Humanities, the worldwide peacebuilding efforts of its Professors of Practice, and provide opportunities for graduates to critically engage with complex challenges of the 21st Century.