Blanquerna and the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) are in their second year of providing this new masters programme. The Peace, Conflict and Security Studies provides state-of-the-art knowledge about the theory and practice of measuring and building peace.
Located in the heart of Barcelona, the campus is a short walk from the famous Las Ramblas. Within ten minutes, the metro takes you to La Sagrada Familia, Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar and the beach.
Surrounded by cafes, restaurants and shops, Blanquerna campus enjoys the best of what Barcelona has to offer.
Students will enjoy Blanquerna faculty members who bring a wide range of professional experience, including expertise in:
Prominent faculty include Serge Stroobrants, former Colonel in the Belgian army who holds degrees from the Belgian Royal Military Academy, Free University of Brussels, Université Jean Moulin Lyon III, the German General Staff College and Vesalius College.
He is also an expert in global risk assessment and crisis management linked to the Global Governance Institute. He currently serves as Director of Operations, Europe & MENA at IEP.
The institutes founder and executive chairman Steve Killelea also features in the course as a guest professor.
Tom Woodhouse, Emeritus Professor Department of Peace Studies, founding director of the Centre for Conflict Resolution and co-director of this master’s degree emphasises the importance of the Blanquerna- IEP partnership.
“It is becoming much clearer that a partnership between a university and a think tank provides the ideal combination to enhance the theory-policy-practise link, to explore debates on contemporary issues in an academically rigorous manner.”
“International relations programmes have proliferated across Europe and indeed around the world. However, in recent years new challenges to international peace and security have created a fresh impetus to think creatively.
In other words, a solid foundation in international relations must be complemented with debate and creative thinking in terms of connecting peace, conflict and security.
“Moreover, having two institutions from widely different geographical locations gives an even richer benefit for the student in terms of knowledge, understanding and perspective.”
The master’s programme provides students with the tools to analyse key issues in peace and conflict around the world.
Graduates will be prepared with the skills to forge a career as practitioners or researchers in the areas of conflict analysis, arms control, international security, conflict prevention, peace-making and peace-building.
The data-driven research approach of IEP also features in the degree, with participation of experts from the organisation as mentioned above.
IEP is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit think tank with offices in Brussels, Zimbabwe, Sydney, New York and Mexico City. IEP has developed the world’s leading metric to analyse peace and quantify its economic value.
The institute issues well-known reports such as The Global Peace Index and the Global Terrorism Index each year.
Blanquerna School for Communication and International Relations of the Ramon Llull University is based in Barcelona, providing degrees in English and Spanish. The School attracts students from around the world to its campus based in the centre of one of the world’s great cities.
Find more information about the new degree and Blanquerna on the university’s website.
