Introduction to Conflict, Peace & Development Studies
Although the reality of conflict and aspirations for peace is an ubiquitous feature of human history, the forms and nature of conflict continue to diversify from traditional contests over religion, identity, ideology, and resources (land, water, minerals, and oil) into more complex forms of narco-terrorism, human trafficking, trans-border crime syndicates, and political terrorism. Similarly, the sites of conflicts can also be located from the domestic, organizational, local, to the national and global. What is making the understanding of contemporary conflicts more complex is the way in which various forms and levels of conflicts are intertwined to produce specific manifestations in particular locales. Given the complexity of conflict phenomenon, varied perspectives and analytic frames are evolving in mediation, negotation, and peace practices to deal with the central challenge of our times.
Realizing that traditional single disciplinary focus is inadequate in understanding the varieties and complexities of contemporary conflicts at the dawn of the third millenium, Tribhuvan University (TU) designed the Conflict, Peace and Development Studies (CPDS) as a multidisciplinary Masters program that draws on key insights and strengths from several disciplines in social sciences, humanities, and environmental sciences to provide a comprehensive understanding of the multi-faceted phenomena.
It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to Conflict, Peace and Development Studies (CPDS), Tribhuvan University’s latest Masters programme in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The two-year, four-semester CPDS program commenced in September 2007 with 38 students and we have successfully completed two semesters of teaching, workshops, fieldwork, and exams. We are now in the process of admitting the new class of students for the academic years 2008-10. The interest amongst the students and faculty and the larger public towards the new MA program has been very encouraging. I believe that this interest will be essential in building CPDS as a centre of excellence devoted to high quality teaching and research.
