The Kroc Institute was inspired by the vision of the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., and philanthropist Joan B. Kroc of a world free from the threat of nuclear holocaust. During his 35 years as president of Notre Dame, Father Ted was a leading national voice for civil and human rights and the abolition of nuclear weapons. Joan Kroc was deeply concerned about the nuclear arms race and committed to world peace.
The Kroc Institute’s mission is to understand the causes of violent conflict and promote the conditions for sustainable peace. Kroc faculty conduct research on war, genocide, terrorism, ethnic and religious conflict, and violation of human rights. In a world emeshed in deadly conflict, Kroc scholars focus not only on international conflicts but on hundreds of local and regional armed conflicts large and small.
From its inception in 1986, the Kroc Institute has contributed to peacebuilding education and practice, offering an interdisciplinary minor in peace studies for undergraduates and a master's degree that attracts students from around the globe. The Institute added a supplementary (second) major for undergraduates in 2002 and launched a Ph.D. program in 2008.
As an interdisciplinary institute within a major Catholic research university, Kroc engages in conversation with Catholicism's rich tradition of social thought and teaching on war and peace, ethics and the use of force, the relationship of international law to natural law and state conduct, and the connection between justice and peace. In the ecumenical and inter-religious spirit of the Second Vatican Council, the Institute respects with the wisdom and insights found in other religious and secular traditions, fostering dialogue and strengthening the capacity of all for peacebuilding.
