Bachelor of Arts in Peace, Security, and Conflict Resolution

The study and practice of managing conflict resolution and peacebuilding in all societies is probably the most important intellectual pursuit in humanities and social sciences. In this context, the programme on conflict resolution and peace studies will prepare practitioners and students to be effective in building enduring peace and resolving conflicts at family, national, regional and even global levels. The graduates from this programme will also have skills in restoring and managing post-conflict situations. This is in line with the mission statement of the University of Zambia which is to provide quality and relevant higher education, research and innovation that shape the future of society. The programme structure for Bachelor of Arts in Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution delivers a summary of its main features and the intended learning outcomes that a learner is expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that covered the programme.

Human Resources Gaps

This programme contributes to the country’s human capital development needs by producing undergraduate students with technical, practical and theoretical knowledge in peace, security and conflict resolution within the context of a developing and globalized world. With these challenges and human resource gap, this programme which is developed in line with Zambia’s Eight National Development Plan (8NDP) should be able to fill in the identified gaps by graduating practitioners capable of engaging in constructive peace dialogue, job creation, social development, conflict prevention and conflict resolution with the country and beyond.

Relevance of the Programme

The international system is today facing a number of challenges emanating from both human constructions and natural disasters resulting in conflicts among actors. As a result, the field of peace studies and conflict resolution helps produce the needed human resource and theoretical and policy tools to manage peace and resolve conflicts. The programme enables students examine current debates on the nature of everyday peace and hybrid forms of peace, related questions about `local agency' and forms of resistance, activism, and social mobilization. Consequently, new knowledge that contributes to a stable international and many emerging issues in the national and global environment is generated.

Acceptability of the Programme to Stakeholders

The programme is relevant and meets the needs of students and other stakeholders by providing training that is well targeted to the individual educational requirements and goals of global development. The students are also exposed to learning processes that build their cognitive and practical skills through classroom interaction, internship and field work. Other stakeholders like the industry are provided with readily available source of employees.

The aim of the programme is to enable students to acquire and apply practical approaches in resolving conflicts and promoting peace. Specifically, students will be able to show a critical understanding of:

1. Key issues and debates related to the theories of peace and practices of peacebuilding, state building, conflict management, resolution, and transformation.
2. The range of social science topics that influence peacebuilding, state building, conflict management, etc
3. Students will become familiar with the methodological and normative underpinnings of these disciplines.
4. The analytical and policy literature concerning peacebuilding, international governance structures, state building, and the role of key actors and institutions including NGOs and military and other security actors.
5. An understanding of local approaches to peacebuilding, including an awareness of the problems and critiques associated with `bottom up' approaches.
6. The development of a range of academic and professional/transferrable skills through both independent and group-based work.

At the end of the programme, students should be able to do the following:

1. Demonstrate a strong understanding of the theoretical and practical issues in Peace studies and conflict resolution.

2. Develop the ability to apply concepts and principle skills in managing conflicts.

   Apply systematic understanding and knowledge in conflict handling at various levels

3. Demonstrate a strong understanding of various applicable research methods and techniques in peace studies and conflict resolution programmes and projects.
4. Apply a range of established conflict resolution strategies
5. Effectively communicate information, arguments, uphold ethical standards of an organisation, peace culture within their environments and the international system in general.