Ph.D. in International Peace Studies

What do we mean when we talk about peace? Is it simply the absence of war or something more substantive? How is the nature of conflict changing? What strategies and tools exist to promote peace in the world, at global, national and local levels, and how can we develop these to meet new challenges? The interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in International Peace Studies offers the opportunity to bring together, in a flexible and innovative way, approaches and methods from across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities to address a range of contemporary issues of peace.

Three individuals sit at a table during a presentation. A woman in a pink blazer gestures while speaking, a laptop in front of her. To her right, a person with dark hair pulled back listens with their chin resting on their hand. A projector sits on the table in the foreground. A third person, visible only from the shoulder up on the far left, looks on.

Examples of areas of inquiry include the relationship between peace and climate change, peace and religion, or peace and development; the significance of new developments in weapons or communications technology; and opportunities offered by innovative approaches in mediation practice or peace education. Students will have the chance to engage in programs within Kroc focused on peace accords implementation and monitoring, Catholic peacebuilding, knowledge production, and digital peace technologies. They can draw on expertise across the Keough School in issues relating to climate change and environmental sustainability, poverty and inequality, and democratic governance and human rights. They can also interact with researchers across the university working in areas such as global health, technology and ethics, and international law.

Faculty Contact: Catherine Bolten, Professor of Anthropology and Peace Studies; Director of Doctoral Studies

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