Research Trips

The Centre for Conflict Studies promotes and supports different research trips, such as those outlined below.

 

Student Trip to Poland

A 10 day study trip by 19 students from the social sciences and humanities together with three university staff to engage with the handling of Polish society with its Jewish heritage. The students visited Warsaw, Krakow and Auschwitz.

A detailed report of the study tour is available here.

 

Excursion to Bonn - German Peace and Development Policy

Participants in the seminar on Peace and Development Policy in Germany spent two days in the former capital city of Bonn. The program included visits to numerous institutions constituting German development cooperation, including the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the German Organisation for International Cooperation (GIZ), Welthungerhilfe and the Protestant Church Development Service (EED).

The discussions in technical workshops focused in particular on the nexus between peace and development. Questions asked, included: "what does development cooperation have to do with security?" "what are the consequences of the current fashion for civil-military cooperation in development cooperation?", "what role do aspects of peace and security play in development cooperation projects?".

Discussions with experts from academia (Working Group on Peace and Development / FriEnt) as well as interviews with experienced partners from civil society organizations enabled a critical analysis of German development policy. A meeting with representatives of the Civil Peace Service also provided interesting and insightful discussions. (Author: Raphael Nabholz)

Research trip to Bosnia-Herzegovina

In the context of the seminar "Genealogy of Memory in the Tension Between Politics and Politicization in  Bosnia-Herzegovina and Rwanda", participants undertook a study trip to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2011. Through this trip students were able to acquire a direct interchange between theory and practice and to obtain first insights into the complex problems of a post-conflict society. The study tour was supported financially by PROMOS.

Further information are available here.   

Study Trip - Geman Students to Uganda and Ugandan Students to Germany

During a twelve-day study tour students from Marburg and Uganda visited conflict regions in Northern Uganda as well as  current peace-building projects, including partner organizations of the German Development Service (DED) the German Technical Cooperation Organisation (GTZ).The trip was funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Centre for Conflict Studies.

The students were able to gain extensive first hand insights into the strategies and challenges of development cooperation and peace-building at different levels. Moreover, through interviews with graduates, project staff and students they learned how social and individual problems are related directly or indirectly to violent conflicts.

Three weeks later, the Ugandan students undertook a return visit (15 to 27 July 2009) to discuss the results of the Uganda excursion with representatives of German NGOs active in development cooperation (German Development Service, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Peace Development Group and Foreign Affairs).

PhD Colloquium - Excursion to The Hague

In September 2011, seven PhD students from the structured doctoral program in Transitional Justice together with Annika Oettler and Susanne Buckley-Zistel travelled to The Hague in order to conduct interviews with judges and staff from the International Criminal Court and the Yugoslavia Tribunal. We are grateful to PROMOS for financial support.

Further information are available here.

Research Seminar Trip to Berlin - "Politics of Memory and Dealing with the Past after Genocides"

In the context of the research seminar "Politics of Memory and Dealing with the Past after Genocides" students from the Master's in Peace and Conflict Studies undertook a four-day study trip to Berlin as part of a country comparison between Bosnia, Germany and Rwanda.

The trip was organised by Julia Viebach and Christian Braun.