The United Nation-affiliated University for Peace (UPEACE), an organization headquartered in Costa Rica; and the Center for Security and Peace Studies, University of Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta held a Master Curriculum Development Workshop with representative from universities in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka from 28 April – 1 May 2008 in Yogyakarta.

During this four-day workshop, a group of academicians from each of the six countries engaged in the conceptual design of a Master’s Degree Program in the field of Peace and Conflict Studies. Members of UPEACE’s international faculty facilitated the process to support the effort of workshop participants to tailor their Master’s program to respond to their priorities and needs. The participants also identified courses of regional and local interests. The efforts of this workshop have culminated in the design of a complete outline of the program with its courses, theses, and admission requirements.

In Indonesia, UPEACE is working closely with the Center for Security and Peace Studies (CSPS), University of Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, as part of this project.

This event is part of UPEACE Program in South and South East Asia, the Horn of Africa and the Middle East (UPSAM), an initiative supported by government of the Netherlands. The goal of this program is for seventeen partner universities in these three regions to develop and implement high quality MA Programs in fields related to peace and conflict studies. UPEACE collaborated closely with each partner and contribute with academic capacity building in the form of Master Curriculum Development Workshop, Fellowship and Co-Teaching.

The UPSAM projects build upon UPEACE’s extensive collaborative activities in the different regions over the past few years and its experience in academic program development in the field of peace and conflict studies.

UPEACE was established by the United Nations in 1980 to support the central peace and security objectives of the UN Charter. The University’s mission is to “provide humanity with an international institution of higher education for peace with the aim of promoting among all human beings a spirit of understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence, to stimulate cooperation among peoples and to help lessen obstacle and threats to world peace and progress”.