Trust gift and Government scheme fund Centre's establishment
Te Ao o Rongomaraeroa |The National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies was established at the University of Otago in 2009 through the generosity of the Aotearoa New Zealand Peace and Conflict Studies Trust.
The Trust made a $1.25 million donation linked with the University's Leading Thinkers Initiative. The Government of the day matched this funding under the Partnerships for Excellence scheme lifting the total to $2.5million.
A formal Memorandum of Understanding underpins the relationship between the Trust and the University which to this day remains strong and mutually supportive.
Now into its second decade, Te Ao o Rongomaraeroa | the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies embraces the University of Otago Māori Strategic Framework's (2022) goal to achieving participation and success for Indigenous students in tertiary education.
Our small multidisciplinary Faculty are actively committed to working toward becoming biculturally competent teachers and both they and students are encouraged similarly to acknowledge and address the historically inequitable status and contribution of indigenous peoples to peace and conflict studies.
Over the years we have built an extensive global network of research affiliates, visiting scholars and partner organisations from around the globe, all of whom are available to assist us in providing the highest quality postgraduate student experience.
Our primary aims
- To build understandings of peace and conflict grounded in the experiences of people, places and history, in ways that respect customary and local requirements for sovereignty, development, legitimate governance and wellbeing.
- To learn from dialogue, theoretical insight, international research and practical experience, including Aotearoa New Zealand's own experiences of Treaty partnership and engagement in international peacebuilding.
- To deliver high-quality postgraduate programmes at master's and PhD levels.
- To conduct research on the causes of intrastate and international armed conflict; security, conflict resolution and post-conflict peacebuilding with special reference to Asia and the South Pacific region.
- To provide expert advice and advanced-level short courses and training for government and non-government organisations engaged in conflict resolution, peacebuilding, development, humanitarian intervention, and policy making around the role of justice and good governance in sustainable peace.
- To engage in practical projects that build local capacities for sustainable development, community engagement, environmental protection, good governance including co-governance as a model enabled by Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and conflict transformation in the contexts of the South Pacific and Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.
- To facilitate evaluations and impact assessments of practical projects in the field.
- To advance the understanding and knowledge of conflict resolution processes by conducting state-of-the-art training in negotiation, mediation, and cross-cultural conflict resolution.