2020 International Summer Course in Critical Peace Studies
It's our pleasure to inform you that we are organizing this course which offers an excellent opportunity for learning from almost 30 years of resistance to nationalist populism in Bosnia & Herzegovina. This focus includes the forms of everyday resistance and ‘hidden transcripts’, but also struggles to foster social movements and political alternatives. The course will also be offered as an online course given present uncertainty regarding travel restrictions to Sarajevo.
Populism and particularly far right populism is a rising global phenomenon. The potential of populism to polarize societies and politics and its proponents’ increasing challenge to the liberal order therefore make it a growing concern for scholars of peace and conflict studies. The Balkans was engulfed in violence in the 1990s which came as a result of a revival of nationalism and populism in the region. Despite the divisions which ensued and continued instability, the region has nevertheless witnessed significant pockets of resistance to the nationalist agenda which managed to preserve some sense of normalcy in the region.
This course is distinctive because it is organized in cooperation between the Peace Academy which brings over 12 years of experience bridging activist and academic approaches to peacebuilding and the University of Manchester. Accordingly, the course provides both theoretical but also practical tools. The course is further enriched by providing rich exchange among students resulting from a balanced group of participants from within and beyond the Post-Yugoslav countries.
The course is open to activists, students, researchers, theoreticians, journalists who are working in the fields of peacebuilding, dealing with the past, and human rights' protection.
The course will be held from July 27th until August 28th.
The course topics are (See detailed course description)
Understanding Populism and Resistance (the week of 27th-31st of July) - Instructor Valida Repovac Nikšić (University of Sarajevo)
Feminism and networks of resistance (the week of 03rd-07th of August) - Instructor Zlatiborka Popov Momčinović (University of East Sarajevo)
Everyday resistance in the workplace (the week of 10th-14th of August) - Instructor Jasmin Ramović (University of Manchester)
- With lecture by Oliver Richmond (University of Manchester) 'The Evolution of the International Peace Architecture'
Mostar virtual excursion (one day during the weeks of 10th of August or 17th of August)
Local-first activism as resistance (the week of 17th-21st of August) - Instructor Randall Puljek-Shank (International Burch University)
Resistance within international projects (the week of 24th-28th of August) - Instructor Nejra Nuna Čengić (University of Manchester)
Participation in the course requires 6 hours per unit/week
Applying
Applications have now closed.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your participation or need other information in this regard, please contact Amela Puljek-Shank at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. You will be notified about the selection outcome of applications at the latest by July 7th.
Participation Prerequisites
- Willingness to attend the selected course during its whole duration;
- Willingness to fulfill all obligations related to the course (reading the recommended literature and writing an essay if you would like to receive a certificate)
- Fluency in English;
- Minimum age for participation is 21 years;
- Participation fee payment after your application has been selected.
Working Methodology
The online course will be done in two ways: asynchronous sessions and synchronous sessions.
- Asynchronous: these sessions include activities that can be done on your own time. Sessions will include reading the main text for the course, possible videos or movies and connecting with other students through Forum to discuss the course material, videos or movies.
- Synchronous: live 2 hours sessions with professors and other students that will take place once a week for each of the topics.
The students will need:
- A computer or mobile device with a camera, microphone, and speakers
- A headset with microphone is useful (but not required) for this purpose and to cut down on background noise
- A strong enough internet connection to connect to Zoom (click here for Zoom technical specifications)
- The ability to access and download documents from and upload documents to the online learning platform at Peace Academy (Moodle).
- The ability to stream videos posted by faculty members
This course is made possible by a grant from the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR).
Participation fee
Each participant is obliged to pay a participation fee for the participation at Peace Academy’s course in 2020. The participation fee is paid after you receive a confirmation that you have been accepted.
Participation fees are divided into the following two categories:
- Participants who are only citizens of one of the former Yugoslav countries pay a subsidized fee of 50,00 €. We also welcome participants from the global South who also qualify for this reduced price.
- Participants who are citizens of other countries (outside the categories above) pay a participation fee of 350€
Provisions of bank fees are not included in the participation fees and are expected to be paid by participants themselves. Participants will be informed about the deadline and means of participation fee payment after the selection process. Participation fees will be due before the start of the course. Participation fees will be used to cover costs of course materials and Peace Academy’s operational costs.
Note for participants from the Post-Yugoslav countries: If you or your organization can contribute to the Peace Academy’s sustainability by paying a larger participation fee (e.g., 150, 250 or 350 €), please let us know.
For all additional information regarding the Peace Academy please contact us at:
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Telephone/Fax: +387 61 102 725
Contact person: Amela Puljek-Shank, PAF's Project Coordinator
We are looking forward to receiving your applications!
