Engaging Conflict Summer School
Mission
The Engaging Conflict Summer School is designed to equip committed students, early-career researchers, and professionals with advanced tools to critically understand conflict and tackle it as a dynamic reality. Engaging Conflict’s faculty draws from a unique spectrum of expertise to train a select group of participants in assessing the complexity of conflict and post-conflict scenarios, and evaluating the relevance and impact of different policy choices or normative standings, from non-intervention to conflict prevention.
Summer schools on conflict and conflict-related issues are mostly concentrated in Northern Europe, while in Italy courses on such topics are meant mainly as professionalizing tools aimed at non-academic audiences. Torino has a long-standing tradition of conflict-related studies, both in its University and in its military institutions, and for this reason, has stepped up to fill up this void.
The Engaging Conflict Summer School addresses three core questions:
1 – What is a conflict? Conceptualizing and understanding a conflict
- Conflict as a concept; conflict as discourse;
- What differentiates conflicts of different kinds, what are their constitutive components (actors, dynamics, duration, etc.)?
- When, where and why do such different kinds of conflict occur? What implications are attached to different kinds of conflict?
- Who fights and why? What actors are involved in a conflict and how?
2 – How does conflict work? Causes and dynamics of conflict
- Causes: the politics of identity, the role of religion, territory, mobilization mechanisms;
- Tools: violence and its forms.
- Sustainability: the economy of conflict;
- Broader issues: ethnicity; gender; regional aspects; environmental issues.
3 – How can we influence conflict? Intervening on conflict, and possible outcomes
- Conflict prevention (vs. the implications of “give war a chance”), early warning and monitoring;
- Mediation, negotiation and third-party involvement;
- Disarmament, demobilization, reintegration (DDR); reconciliation; reconstruction;
- Peacebuilding and its implications; conflict and development nexus.
The program is structured around two intensive weeks. Engaging Conflict activities are not limited to lectures, as workshops, seminars and roleplay complete the schedule. In addition, specifically designed thematic conversations will offer participants the opportunity to interact with scholars and practitioners alike in an informal environment. The School runs 5 days a week and the daily schedule is from 9 am to 1 pm (morning session) and from 2.30 to 4.15 pm (afternoon session).
Classes are limited to 25 participants, English proficiency is required, and international applications are welcome. Ideal candidates have a basic understanding of conflict-related issues. Several scholarships are available, covering anything from tuition fees to accommodation and meals. Please do check whether you may be eligible for one of them.
The venue of the course is Dipartimento di Culture, Politica e Società (Department of Cultures, Politics, and Society), Campus Luigi Einaudi (CLE), Lungodora Siena 100/a, Torino, Italy.
Engaging Conflict is organized by T.wai in cooperation with the Department of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, and in particular with the MA programme in Scienze Internazionali.
Admission criteria
The Engaging Conflict summer school is designed for highly motivated students and professionals looking for a super-intensive program aimed at critically understanding conflict, post-conflict and peacebuilding. A strict selection process aims to guarantee that the School’s working environment is as dynamic and challenging as possible.
Applications from students and professionals who are in possession of the required qualifications are welcomed. These are a Bhonors honours degree at 1st or 2:1 level (or an equivalent European title. Italian students holding a laurea triennale and not enrolled in a postgraduate programme have to have scored a minimum grade of 100/110) and good command of the English language, which is the working language of the School.
Undergraduate students (i.e. students who will not yet have a degree at the start of the School) who are enrolled in a university course with a strong international relations or security studies focus may also apply, provided that they have completed at least one year of their program.
Special attention will be devoted to those applicants who can demonstrate their proficiency in English by means of an international qualification. Though this is nota mandatory requirement, an ideal proof would be a minimum TOEFL score of 620 (paper-based test) or 250 (computer-based test), or 100 (Internet test), or IELTS 7.0 or their equivalent (e.g. the Cambridge Advanced or CPE Certificate).
Previous studying/working experience abroad will also be taken into careful consideration.
Application Procedure
Since the maximum number of accepted participants to the Engaging Conflict Summer School is 25, a tough competition to secure a place at the School is expected. You are therefore advised to apply as soon as possible, provided you meet the eligibility criteria.
In order for their application to be considered, applicants must send their updated CV to the Engaging Conflict office (engaging.conflict@twai.it) and complete the online application form.
In addition to these actions, students only are requested to send a copy of their official enrollment letter/certification testifying their current student status and an academic transcript. Recently graduated students (i.e. having obtained their degree not earlier than 1 September 2017) applying for a scholarship are requested to provide the academic transcript as well. The documentation will be used to select the best candidates, both for a place at the School and for scholarships (when applied for). Only applicants requesting for ONCAMPUS or FREETORINO scholarships are additionally required to offer proof of their residence by filling in, signing and returning this document.
When all necessary application documents are with the Engaging Conflict office, the program officer will place them in the candidate’s personal file and make sure all compulsory requirements are met. If this is the case, the file is passed on to the Selection Committee, which is composed of scholars appointed by T.wai and by the Department of Culture, Politics and Society (University of Turin).
All complete applications reaching Engaging Conflict by Sunday Sunday 29 April 2018, 12 pm (Rome time), will be evaluated by Monday 7 May 2018 and official confirmations will be sent individually immediately thereafter.
Successful applicants receiving an offer must formally accept it and send proof of fees payment (direct bank transfer) via email. Upon receiving these, the Engaging Conflict office will confirm the allocation of the place. Applicants who should fail to send such confirmation and proof of payment within a week from the notification of their successful application will have their offer withdrawn, and their place will be offered to the best candidates in the waiting list.
Tuition fees are 650€ (VAT included). All successful applicants must pay their full fees.
Students who are awarded a ZEROTASSE or a FREETORINO scholarship will have their fees entirely reimbursed by October 31st 2018, provided they have met the relevant conditions. Half-board accommodation for those granted an ONCAMPUS or a FREETORINO scholarship will not require any payment on their part and will be available from Sunday 1 July 2018.
Key dates
7 May – Selection closes and results are sent out: the Engaging Conflict office communicates the selection results individually to all applicants by this date, offering a place to those of them who have been successful.
14 May – Class is formed: by this date successful applicants must send proof of fees payment (direct bank transfer, all banking expenses payable by candidate) via email. Upon receiving this, the Engaging Conflict office will confirm the allocation of the place. Applicants who should fail to meet this deadline will have their offer withdrawn and replaced with the best candidates from the waiting list.
1 July – “FREETORINO” and “ONCAMPUS” students arrival: holders of the Freetorino scholarship are introduced to their accommodation.
2 July – Engaging Conflict starts: all the participants gather in Torino and Engaging Conflict 2018 begins.
13 July – Engaging Conflict ends: last day of the 2018 edition of Engaging Conflict and farewell.
Fees and scholarship
Tuition fees are 650€ (VAT included). This amount covers tuition, working materials and three social events (welcome aperitif, alumni night and farewell dinner). Students, or recently graduated former students ONLY may apply for scholarships.
ZEROTASSE: scholarships covering tuition fees entirely. These scholarships may be applied for by all School participants who are currently students (i.e. undergraduates who will not have completed their international relations/security studies degree at the beginning of the School, or applicants who either are studying at the postgraduate level or will be doing so in the 2018-19 academic year) or by former students that have graduated not earlier than 1 September 2017 and that do not have an independent source of revenue.
ONCAMPUS: scholarships covering living expenses in Torino. Those who are awarded an ONCAMPUS scholarship will be lodged at one of Torino’s student halls from Sunday 1 July to Sunday 15 July 2018. A single or double (depending on availability) en-suite room and one meal per day (dinner) will be provided. These scholarships may be applied for by current students (i.e. undergraduates who will not have completed their international relations/security studies degree at the time of the School, or applicants who either are studying at the postgraduate level or will be doing so in the 2018-19 academic year) or by former students that have graduated not earlier than 1 September 2017 and that do not have an independent source of revenue. Applicants must not be resident in either the city of Torino or its province.
FREETORINO: scholarships covering both tuition fees and living expenses in Torino. Those who are awarded a FREETORINO scholarship will be lodged at one of Torino’s student halls from Sunday 1 July to Sunday 15 July 2018. A single or double (depending on availability) en-suite room and one meal per day (dinner) will be provided. These scholarships may be applied by current students (i.e. undergraduates who will not have completed their international relations/security studies degree at the time of the School, or applicants who either are studying at the Postgraduate level or will be doing so in the 2018-19 academic year) or by former students that have graduated not earlier than 1 September 2017, and that do not have an independent source of revenue. Applicants must not be resident in Italy.
Those students who are awarded ZEROTASSE and FREETORINO scholarships will have their fees entirely reimbursed by 31 October 2018, provided they have met the relevant conditions.
Half-board accommodation for those granted ONCAMPUS or FREETORINO scholarships will not require any payment on their part and will be available from Sunday 1 July 2018.
How to pay
The only accepted means of payment is a direct bank transfer for the entire above-mentioned amount (650€).
Bank transfer costs MUST be covered in full by the participants. Here are the bank data:
Associazione T.wai (Torino World Affairs Institute)
IBAN: IT60 W033 5901 6001 0000 0009 497
BIC: BCITITMX
Bank name: Banca Prossima S.p.a
Bank address: Via Manzoni ang. Via Verdi – 20121 Milano IT
It is absolutely essential that the stated reason for payment is the following:
“Name and Surname, Engaging Conflict Summer School 2018”
For more information click "LINK TO ORIGINAL" below.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
http://www.engagingconflict.it/ec/?utm_source=ARMACAD.info&utm_medium=ARMACAD.info