Second Summer School of the Eurasia Peace Studies Exchange Network (EPSE) in Ukraine
The summer school took place in both, our partner institutes in Kiev and Odessa and covered a broad variety of issues relevant for peace, conflict and security in the wider post-Soviet space. Students and staff listened to interesting presentations from academics, policy makers and practitioners including the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
We were exposed to a wide range of relevant and interesting topics that have clearly broadened my horizon on the ever-changing political situation in post-Soviet states. I particularly appreciated the lectures about the situation of the internally displaced people (IDPs) in Ukraine, a highly current topic that unfortunately reminds one of many similar cases in the Middle East and also recent Myanmar. It reminds us that human rights issues are still a major global problem." - Pak Man, MPCT student
This has been another fantastic opportunity to connect and reconnect with scholars interested in researching international conflict related issues, to gain new insights, hear valuable opinions and share experiences. Many of these lectures were very topical, relevant, insightful and thought-provoking, mainly regarding the causes and consequences of conflicts and social issues around Ukraine, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan. We also met with and heard from several individuals and organisations about their efforts of researching the conditions and offering support to the people from conflict affected areas, to families, children, people in age, people dealing with psychological issues and post traumatic stress, and about integration of internally displaced persons into new environments. During this exchange I also reconsidered some personal issues to work on myself regarding my own study approaches and received lots of great suggestions and encouragements to find motivation, engage more actively, keep focus, plan and conduct research." - Reinis Briljants, MPCT student
Aside from the different lectures the summer school also provided students and staff with different excursions and networking opportunities.
The hosts of the summer school were incredible, they organized and facilitated a wonderful experience and set up an interesting series of lectures regarding the situations and security concerns/issues countries are facing in the post-Soviet space. The opportunity to learn as well as undertake excursions really allowed for a nice blend of book and cultural learning. A very worthwhile experience!" - Brody Tegg, MPCT student
The five-day intensive course was not only a one-way lecturing experience for students, but aimed at creating a particularly inclusive and constructive working environment for all course participants.
The EPSE Exchange was a singular experience, but contrary to what one might assume, not because of some extravagantly innovative activities. It was so because of the invaluable work environment and the attitude of your seniors. From the very first interactions, it was made apparent that the baseline was a strong sense of deference. This is standard protocol, but beyond casual encounters, it extended to lecturing sessions. Everyone was equated to the same level and no one’s voice was dismissed. Bachelor and masters level students were encouraged to share, and treated with respect and interest equal to prominent guests who lectured. This was a highly nurturing setting for students to test their ideas, listen, learn, feel validated, establish networks and most importantly: establish concrete future goals based on intrinsic motivation. Since future meetings can be expected to involve the same approach, it would be irresponsible not to apply." - Marc Legua Mira, MPCT student
More about the Eurasia Peace Studies Exchange Network:
The summer school was the second out of three intensive courses of the newly established Eurasia Peace Studies Exchange Network (EPSE), which brings together students and researchers from universities in Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Ukraine, Germany and Norway. The third and final workshop will take place during the summer 2019 in Kyrgyzstan. If you are a student at the Master’s Degree Programme in Peace and Conflict Transformation (MPCT) and interested in joining us we will provide you with details on where and how to apply in due time.
Member institutions:
- The American University of Central Asia (AUCA) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
- The National University in Odessa, Ukraine
- The State University in Kiev, Ukraine
- Ilia State University in Tbilisi, Georgia
- The Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH), Germany
- Centre for Peace Studies (CPS) at UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Norway
