The Kroc Institute's Mediation Program recently presented its first Ph.D. course on international mediation. The course was hosted by the Research School on Peace and Conflict in Oslo. The School comprises the University of Oslo, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).
The week-long course is meant to take place annually in Oslo, but was held virtually this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The course, "International Mediation: Theory, Cases and Skills," provides Ph.D.-level tuition and engagement for doctoral students based at universities throughout the world. It combines theory, scholarly and policy debates, with practitioner input and mediation skills development. At this year's course, senior Norwegian mediators discussed their personal involvement with peace processes in Colombia and Sudan.
"The course is an intellectually exciting opportunity for doctoral students with different experiences, nationalities and disciplinary orientations to explore state-of-the-art thinking about international mediation," said Laurie Nathan, director of the Mediation Program and professor of the practice of mediation at the Kroc Institute. "We look forward to seeing Kroc Ph.D. students enroll in the course in 2022."