Aims and Expectations

The aim of the research school is to familiarize PhD candidates with the core themes and approaches in the field of peace and conflict research. In addition to approaching the topic from their own disciplinary backgrounds, participants will be introduced to research – and interact with scholars – from a wide variety of other disciplines. When they complete the school, participants will thus have an overview of:

• the current scholarly debates related to peace and conflict studies within their respective core disciplines;
• the current status of peace and conflict research across disciplines;
• relevant perspectives in other disciplines on specific topics of interest, primarily the topic of their dissertation and of the research courses they have followed; and
• current policy challenges (for individual states, the EU, the UN, and other).

Meeting these objectives means that participants need to acquire basic knowledge about a wide range of methodological challenges and approaches. The PhD candidates should therefore be prepared to:

• review scholarly work that employs methodologies very different from their own, and
• engage in methodological discussions that involve ethical and policy concerns.

A course in the themes and methods of peace and conflict research is therefore required for the students in the research school. The course will be taught by PRIO staff and peace and conflict researchers from departments both in and outside Norway.