Our specialization in Environmental Security and Governance is designed for those wishing to critically engage with issues concerning Global Environmental Change and Security. Impacts of Global Environmental Change on different levels of security are analyzed, namely national, human and ecological security, as well as linkages between environmental governance and peace and conflict. Inside this framework, this specialization looks at the potential role of natural resources in both contributing to conflicts and facilitating peacebuilding processes.

This specialization also analyzes different governance responses to global environmental change, engaging with ongoing debates concerning the underlying causes of environmental degradation. Courses in this specialization critically engage with the ways in which environmental issues are framed as security issues and the potential consequences of this approach for environmental governance. Students will gain insights into different institutional tools and practical techniques related to water, food, and other environmental conflict scenarios. Other topics include disaster risk reduction and environmental conflict management.... [-]

Our specialization in Climate Change Policy addresses the complex relationship between climate change and security issues at the international, national and local levels. We operate with the understanding that environmental problems are closely linked to security issues, that climate change is one of the most significant environmental problems in the world today, and that the international community plays an essential role in governing climate change mitigation and adaptation measures. The specialization prepares students to work with organizations, both international and community-based, in climate change mitigation and adaptation policy formulation and project implementation, disaster risk reduction, as well as in the identification and management of conflicts arising from climate change-related factors.... [-]

University for Peace (UPEACE) •UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education (UNESCO-IHE) •Oregon State University (OSU)

UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education (UNESCO-IHE), the University for Peace (UPEACE) and Oregon State University (OSU), institutions with a unique range of expertise, have jointly developed a new Master programme on Water Cooperation and Peace, which has been endorsed by UNESCO’s “From Potential Conflict to Cooperation Potential PCCP” programme.

Water management is conflict management. Regardless of the scale, ensuring that the needs of the people and ecosystems relying on this critical resource are met effectively, requires comprehensive understanding of both water science and water diplomacy, including dispute mitigation, management and resolution. To address these needs, the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands, the University for Peace in Costa Rica, and Oregon State University in the USA, have embarked on a joint education programme in Water Cooperation and Peace. The goal of this new initiative is to broaden the discussion about conflict and peace and the factors that contribute to both, engage multi-level scales of conflict dimensions and strengthen skills by providing hands-on and interactive learning opportunities.... [-]

The specialization in Sustainable Natural Resource Management is primarily designed for those intending to engage in community-oriented work in natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, or sustainable development. It emphasizes the enhancement of biodiversity for global life support systems and mitigation of conflicts that arise from development initiatives, natural resource disputes, and environmental degradation.

Graduates possess the needed skills and knowledge to work with governmental, civil society, and private sector organizations engaged in conservation and development programming, as well as to pursue advanced academic study in the social science of environmental management.The Programme involves two semesters of graduate coursework followed by completion of a thesis or internship tailored to the student’s specific interests.... [-]