Centre for Peace Studies
Director
(Centre for Peace Studies)
CENTRE FOR PEACE STUDIES IN BRIEF
The Centre was established in 2007 but effectively took off in 2008, at its present location, with three (3) rooms allocated to it at the old site of Sokoto Energy Research Centre. The CPS is a full-fledged academic unit of the University and has the same status as similar units (in the University). The Director heads the Centre, providing overall academic and administrative leadership and reports to the Vice Chancellor. CPS’s mini-library is its main resource room equipped with books, monograms and other academic resource materials. The books and monograms totals more than 240 items. The Ralph J. Bunche Resource room was so-named, in honour of an African American, late Ralph J. Bunche, a career US diplomat and well-known peace advocate practitioner at the United Nations, in acknowledgment of the contribution of the US Embassy in Nigeria to equipping the library with books and computers.
The Centre for Peace Studies has linkage with George Mason University, USA. One of the outcomes of this linkage has been a collaborative research grant provided by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) for CPS, UDUS and School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University. The joint project was on Strengthening Graduate education in Peace and Conflict Resolution in Northern Nigeria. The grants helped CPS in designing all its graduate education curriculum and programmes. The Centre also has several linkages with NGOs, CSOs, Research and Documentations centers in Nigeria and abroad. These linkages have continued to strengthen the Centre’s capacity and development in research and training.
The Centre has designed five (5) postgraduate programmes as part of its statutory mandate of providing training in peace and conflict studies. All the programmes had been recommended by Postgraduate School and sent to Academic Planning Committee and Senate for final approval. All necessary preparations have been concluded for the programmes to commence in 2019/2020 academic sessions. The programmes are:
- Postgraduate Diploma in Peace and Conflict Studies
- M.Sc. in Peace and Conflict Studies (Full-time)
- Master of Peace and Security Studies (Part-time)
- M.Phil. Peace and Conflict Studies
- PhD. Peace and Conflict Studies
As an academic unit, the CPS has already developed sub-degree and postgraduate degree programmes in peace, security and conflict studies. All the programmes are awaiting final Senate approval. The future projection is for all these programmes to be mounted effectively. The Centre also look forward to establishing more linkages and collaborations with other Centres and Institutions in Nigeria and abroad, and continue to conduct short-training courses and programmes for relevant security stakeholders and conduct research in conflict and peace studies, especially in host communities. The Centre is also making frantic effort to establish an early-warning programme to help track potentials for conflict, especially in Northwest zone and Northern Nigeria, generally. Of all these, the CPS look to a permanent building of its own. This would boost all its activities.
Mission
The mission of CPS is to engage in quality collaborative research; and provide training in conflict analysis, conflict resolution and security awareness to persons and communities under the most conducive condition for learning regardless of social class, gender, race and religion.
Vision
The vision of the CPS is in line with the general vision of the University which is to be a Centre of Excellence for the attainment of important national goals in different fields of human endeavor. The vision of the Centre in particular is to attain excellence in teaching and research for the promotion of sustainable peace locally, nationally and globally.
Linkages
The Centre for Peace Studies has linkage with George Mason University, USA. One of the outcomes of this linkage has been a collaborative research grant provided by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) for CPS, UDUS and School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University. The joint project was on Strengthening Graduate education in Peace and Conflict Resolution in Northern Nigeria. The grants helped CPS in designing all its graduate education curriculum and programmes. The Centre also has several linkages with NGOs, CSOs, Research and Documentations centers in Nigeria and abroad. These linkages have continued to strengthen the Centre’s capacity and development in research and training.
Future Plan
As an academic unit, the CPS has already developed sub-degree and postgraduate degree programmes in peace, security and conflict studies. All the programmes are awaiting final Senate approval. The future projection is for all these programmes to be mounted effectively. The Centre also look forward to establishing more linkages and collaborations with other Centres and Institutions in Nigeria and abroad, and continue to conduct short-training courses and programmes for relevant security stakeholders and conduct research in conflict and peace studies, especially in host communities. The Centre is also making frantic effort to establish an early-warning programme to help track potentials for conflict, especially in Northwest zone and Northern Nigeria, generally. Of all these, the CPS look to a permanent building of its own. This would boost all its activities.
RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES OF CENTRE FOR PEACE STUDIES (CPS) TO THE PRESENT
- POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMME – Started in 2020 after getting the approval of National Universities Commission (NUC). There are four programmes for the award of higher degrees in Peace and Conflict/Security Studies namely Postgraduate Diploma in Peace and Security Studies; Master in Peace and Security Studies; M.Sc. in Peace and Conflict; M.Phil./PhD in Peace and Conflict.
- MoU for Collaboration in Research and Training Activities – An MoU for collaboration and academic linkage between Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) was signed in 2021 which provides the framework for CPS to undertake joint researches and training activities in collaboration with CDD based on mutual cooperation.
- CPS has a working relationship with the United States Institute for Peace (USIP), Abuja, Nigeria, which enables the Centre to coordinate regional activities relating to peacebuilding in the northwest of Nigeria fully supported by USIP.
- The Centre convened a meeting of Stakeholders in the northwest zone of Nigeria which discussed the strategies for institutionalizing peacebuilding in the region which took place in June 2022. The regional workshop was done with the assistance of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).
- The Centre was given approval by the University Management to host a female researcher under a visiting research fellowship introduced by UDUS. The fellow conducted her PhD research on farmer-herder conflicts in northern Nigeria and the possible connection with the Boko Haram insurgency. She is from the Centre for Security Studies, ETH Zurich in Switzerland. She conducted part of her fieldwork in some parts of northern Nigeria during the middle of 2021 that lasted for three months.
- A Public Lecture Series tagged “Peace and Security Lecture” was introduced and the Maiden Edition of the lecture took place in June 2023 after the inauguration of a new civilian administration in Nigeria. The title of the lecture is “Setting the Agenda for Peacebuilding and Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria”.
- The Centre organized an international symposium on the political crisis in Niger Republic following the overthrow of the civilian administration of Muhammad Bazoum. The theme of the symposium was “The Niger Crisis and the Future of Democracy and African Integration. We had that symposium on 28th August 2023.
- We had our Second National Conference in early October 2023 The theme of the proposed conference is “Tackling Security Challenges for Sustainable Development and Democracy in Nigeria”
- Also, in pursuit of the mandate of the Centre to carry out researches and make interventions as well as looking for solutions to social, economic and political crises. After the start of the war on Gaza by Israel following October 7, attack of some Israeli border settlements with Gaza by the radical Palestine liberation movement popularly called Hamas, a one-day International Symposium on “Pathways to Enhanced Security and Conflict Resolution – Northwestern Nigeria and the Middle East in Perspective” was organized in November 2023.
- From 12-13 February 2024 another international symposium was organized on theme “In Search of Enduring Solutions to Rural Banditry and Other Security Challenges in the Northwest Zone of Nigeria”. For the first time, three languages namely.
- The Centre is ever ready to collaborate with agencies and institutions in order to achieve our noble objectives particularly issues relating to conflict resolution, peacebuilding and the promotion of viable strategies for sustainable security of lives and properties in our communities.