P 4 – UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER – INCORE (International Conflict Research Institute)
INCORE (International Conflict Research Institute) was established in 1993. Combining research, education and comparative analysis, INCORE addresses the causes and consequences of conflict in Northern Ireland and internationally and promotes conflict resolution management strategies. It aims to influence policymakers and practitioners involved in peace, conflict and reconciliation issues while enhancing the nature of international conflict research.
INCORE is located within the Faculty of Social Sciences at Ulster University and co-ordinates the varied peace and conflict-related activity across the University – encompassing work in disciplines such as politics, policy studies, history, international affairs, sociology, geography, architecture, communications and social work, as well as in peace and conflict studies.
INCORE works in partnership with a variety of institutions and organizations – locally and internationally. Partner organizations include community groups and civil society organizations in Northern Ireland, peace and conflict-oriented NGOs and think-tanks in Northern Ireland and internationally, and academic institutions around the world.
MSc Applied Peace and Conflict Studies
This internationally renowned programme is offered by leading academics from the International Conflict Research Institute (INCORE), based at Ulster University. The Programme is located on the Magee Campus in the city of Derry/Londonderry along the shores of Lough Foyle in the north west of Northern Ireland.
The emphasis of the INCORE programme is consistent with the new vision of the University to be a leading provider of professional education for professional life. There is a strong focus on post-violence peacebuilding, which is appropriate given that the programme is rooted in a society emerging from decades of protracted violence. However, the geographical scope of INCORE’s work in research, policy, and practice is both local and global.
The programme stresses the development of skills relevant to graduates who want to go on to be practitioners, researchers and policymakers in the peace and conflict field. To ensure this, the programme was recently re-structured to offer a wider variety of modules including, new technologies and peace, psychosocial approaches to peacebuilding, and dealing with the past. The overall approach seeks to develop the critical, theoretical and analytical skills necessary for working in conflicted societies – in ways that are grounded in real life application and case studies.
INCORE staff have been engaged in peacemaking and peacebuilding activities as both practitioners and researchers. This experience and expertise is a hallmark of the programme which is reflected in the classroom experience. The location of the programme in Northern Ireland ensures that there is an open door between classroom learning and experiential learning. Practitioners from Northern Ireland and abroad are important components of the programme, as are site visits, e.g. to the Northern Ireland Assembly community groups working on peacebuilding issues..
The INCORE MSc. in Applied Peace and Conflict Studies offers the student a unique opportunity to undertake a graduate programme characterized by academic excellence within the context of a vibrant and culturally rich society emerging from conflict.
Students in the programme have access to leading academics and practitioners working both to address the causes and consequences of conflict locally and internationally, and to promote better peacemaking and peacebuilding strategies. INCORE is honoured to host Honorary Professor of Peace Studies, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, John Hume. Professor Hume’s tenure has been notable for an array of high-profile Peace Lectures given on the Magee Campus by prominent global policymakers involved in peace and conflict issues. These include former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, President Bill Clinton, Senator Hillary Clinton, former EU Commission President Romano Prodi and the Irish President Mary McAleese.