How to advance a peace-building agenda in your institution

Universities have long been criticised as ‘ivory towers’ in which academics and scholars work in a state of intellectual isolation from real-world problems, offering little of practical benefit to societal needs.

The push to become hubs of technological innovation and other market-driven demands has lent higher education institutions greater perceived relevance in recent years. But that, too, is increasingly undermined by the reality of growing geopolitical conflicts.

Higher education institutions are deeply interwoven with the global political, economic and social fabric. They are affected by and need to respond to the same pressures and challenges that influence the wider world, which is becoming more violent and polarised by the day.



In recent years, higher education institutions have faced unprecedented challenges due to geopolitical crises and conflicts.

For instance, as reported by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack in their Education Under Attack 2022 report, universities, students and staff faced more than 320 reported incidents of military or political violence between 2020 and 2021 across 23 countries, including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Palestine and Ukraine.

These incidents resulted in more than 550 university students or personnel being injured, abducted or killed, and another 1,450 detained, arrested or convicted.

Such attacks disrupt educational activities, endanger lives and lead to a significant ‘brain drain’ as threatened scholars flee or are killed, diminishing the quality of education overall and jeopardising the safety and mental well-being of students and staff.

According to UNESCO (2023), the Russian invasion of Ukraine has directly affected 1.5 million students.

Global conflicts are having a significant spill-over effect as well. In 2024 universities in America and Europe have been increasingly embroiled in social tensions, fuelled by the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, China and Taiwan, among others. These tensions have led to significant unrest on campuses, manifesting in protests, counter-protests, clashes and polarised debates among students and faculty.

What is more, the broader economic repercussions of these geopolitical conflicts, such as disruptions in global supply chains and energy markets, have further fuelled instability and unrest, with significant impacts on research funding, international collaboration, academic freedom and research productivity.

Critical questions for higher education leaders

Higher education leaders are being called upon to address critical questions:

• What can higher education do to mitigate global conflict and crises?

• What skills and competences do faculty and students across all disciplines need to effectively assess, prevent and transform conflict?

• How can higher education leaders respond strategically to the impact of geopolitical crises on their campuses?

• What measures can support the mental health and well-being of students and staff who are affected by increasing polarisation and violence?

There is much that leaders of higher education can do to transform conflict and build peace. In addition to promoting competences for peace-building across higher education curricula, leaders in crisis settings need to think and act strategically.

First, here are some critical foundations which all universities, in every society, should consider implementing to strengthen institutional engagement and advance a peace-building agenda:

• Integration into curricula: Higher education leaders can prioritise the integration of peace-building education into academic curricula across diverse disciplines. By incorporating courses, modules and experiential learning opportunities focused on conflict resolution, intercultural understanding and social justice, institutions can equip students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for peace-building.

• Interdisciplinary collaboration: Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty and departments to address complex peace-building challenges from multiple perspectives. Establish interdisciplinary research centres, institutes or initiatives focused on peace and conflict studies, fostering collaboration across academic disciplines and promoting innovative research and teaching approaches.

• Campus dialogue and engagement: Create spaces for dialogue, reflection and engagement on peace-building issues within the campus community. Organise seminars, workshops and forums where students, faculty, staff and community members can explore topics related to peace, conflict resolution and social justice, fostering a culture of dialogue and mutual understanding.

• Diversity, equity and inclusion: Foster a campus environment that values diversity, equity and inclusion, recognising the importance of promoting social cohesion and addressing structural inequalities in peace-building efforts. Implement policies and practices that promote diversity in recruitment, retention and leadership, and provide support services and resources for marginalised and under-represented communities.

• Partnerships with practitioners and communities: Forge partnerships with local, national and international peace-building organisations, NGOs and community groups to facilitate experiential learning opportunities for students. Collaborate on research projects, internships, service-learning initiatives and community-based projects that address real-world peace-building challenges and contribute to positive social change.

• Ethical leadership: Lead by example and model ethical leadership practices that prioritise integrity, accountability and respect for human rights. Demonstrate a commitment to transparency, fairness and inclusivity in decision-making processes, and uphold values of justice, compassion and empathy in interactions with students, faculty, staff and external stakeholders.

• Institutional advocacy and policy change: Advocate for policies and institutional practices that promote peace, social justice and sustainability within higher education institutions and in society at large. Support initiatives aimed at divesting from industries that contribute to violence and conflict, and invest in initiatives that promote peace-building, environmental sustainability and community development.

• Science and industry for peace: Incentivise university researchers and institutional partners to pursue science and industry for peace that can help policy-makers take action to prevent and respond to violence and instability.

For example, this can involve the elaboration of early warning systems that leverage technology to monitor and analyse socio-economic, environmental and political indicators to identify early warning signs of potential conflicts.

It can also involve promoting conflict-sensitive research and business practices: ensuring that researchers and industries adopt conflict-sensitive approaches to their operations to mitigate the risk of exacerbating tensions and contributing to violence. This includes conducting thorough risk assessments, engaging with local communities in decision-making processes, and adhering to international human rights and environmental standards.

By ensuring transparency, accountability and ethical practices, researchers and industry partners can build trust and contribute to peace-building efforts.

By taking proactive steps to advance a peace-building agenda within their institutions, higher education leaders can contribute to creating transformative learning environments that empower students and faculty to become active agents of positive change in their communities and the world.

Strategic entry points in times of crisis

While some higher education institutions are more directly affected by conflict and crisis dynamics than others, all may consider building strategic capacity to pursue the following entry points for conflict management, transformation and peace-building. I shared these priorities back in 2016 with a delegation of leaders from Ukrainian displaced universities of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, during my time at the University of Cambridge:

• Provide psychosocial support for staff and students

In times of societal crisis, universities have an important role to play in providing psychosocial support to staff and students. Depending upon the context, this support may encompass offering psychological first aid to persons in distress, fostering trauma-awareness and adopting trauma-informed policies, affirming personal and community resilience, and encouraging self-care and well-being among staff and students.

Following critical incidents, measures may be needed to process grief as a community, to acknowledge feelings such as denial, anger, sadness and anxiety, to honour losses, accept changed realities, and foster a shared determination to continue living and thriving as a community, while affirming a foundation of shared humanity and fostering a positive future outlook.

• Integrate conflict analysis and peace mapping

Conflict analysis and peace mapping should inform the university’s own strategic planning to ensure that initiatives taken by the university are aligned with principles of conflict sensitivity, social justice and sustainable peace.

This will involve assessing potential risks, opportunities and priorities related to peace-building and conflict resolution within the institution’s operational context.

Peace mapping can help universities to identify and mobilise resources, capacities and initiatives that contribute to peace and resilience within and between communities.

Such analysis and mapping can feed into collaborative research partnerships, capacity-building programmes and knowledge-sharing platforms.

• Prioritise research for conflict transformation and peace-building

In a broader sense, universities can prioritise research agendas aimed at transforming conflict drivers and strengthening peace-building efforts. This includes prioritising research on social, economic and political conditions, policies, attitudes, intervention strategies and experiences across similar contexts.

Dissemination of policy-relevant research findings should aim to reach the widest range of stakeholders through academic, policy and popular channels.

Universities can also promote dialogue among key conflict stakeholders, including state and local leaders, civil servants, students, influential community figures, non-governmental organisations, industry partners and the general public.

• Incentivise capacity-building and collaboration

Capacity-building and collaboration initiatives can focus on developing the university’s peace-building mission and enabling the participation of as many university members as possible in peace-building strategies.

Universities can foster partnerships with academic, political, social and economic entities across conflict lines, keeping channels of communication open and paving the way for peace-building engagement. Universities can also serve as hubs for local communities, institutions and leaders, enabling them to benefit from the university’s presence and resources, including peace-building training.

• Undertake post-conflict scenario planning

Post-conflict scenario planning encompasses futures and foresight modelling which enables the university leadership to reflect on the implications of conflict for the university mission and the university community in the short term and long term.

In cases of active conflict, crisis and-or displacement, scenarios that university leaders may consider and plan for include reintegration or non-reintegration with the conflicting ‘other’. Such planning requires an analysis of opportunities and risks to minimise negative effects and maximise positive peace-building outcomes in each scenario.

Negotiation and implementation efforts may focus on building key alliances, negotiating terms and agreements, reorienting teaching and research agendas, seeking alternative sources of funding, and building capacity to implement adopted strategies.

• Commit to longer-term healing and reconciliation

In societies with histories of conflict and collective trauma, universities can play a significant role in facilitating healing and reconciliation processes.

Inclusive research, teaching and dialogue about histories of conflicts can enable these histories to be documented and better understood through interdisciplinary perspectives.

Awareness of the intergenerational legacies of collective trauma, the potential for deep resentment and grievances, and the risks to societal well-being from leaving grievances unaddressed can open spaces raising awareness of past harms, facilitating inclusive dialogue, fostering mutual recognition and cooperation, supporting inclusive memorialisation, and supporting processes of restorative and transitional justice.

By embracing their potential as agents of peace-building, conflict transformation, social recovery and reconciliation, higher education institutions can significantly contribute to the development of more peaceful, just and resilient communities.

This requires a commitment to systemic thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration and the cultivation of skills and capacities that align with the demands of peace-building in the 21st century.

Through strategic efforts in teaching, research and community engagement, universities can pave the way for a future where education truly serves as a cornerstone of sustainable peace and development.

Interested in learning more? Here are some resources to get you started:

• “Supporting and Learning from Universities in Times of Conflict: Towards resilience and resistance in higher education”. Special issue of the journal Globalisation, Societies and Education.

• Milton, S and Barakat, S. (2018) “Higher education as the catalyst of recovery in conflict-affected societies.” In Education, Conflict, and Globalisation (pp 77-95). Routledge.

• Pherali, T and Lewis, A. (2019, forthcoming) “Developing global partnerships in higher education for peacebuilding: A strategy for pathways to impact”, Higher Education, DOI: 10.1007/s10734-019-00367-7.

Dr Sara Clarke-Habibi has worked in the field of peace-building through education for 24 years. She earned her PhD in education from the University of Cambridge as a Gates Cambridge Scholar. For her work on educational intersections with violent conflict, displacement, transitional justice, social healing, post-conflict reconstruction and intergroup reconciliation, she was the 2021 Georg Arnhold Senior Fellow on Education for Sustainable Peace at the Georg Eckert Institute in Germany. She has been an associate lecturer at several universities and a consultant for numerous international and non-governmental organisations. She currently works at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research in the Division for Peace.