CARC’s research covers theoretical themes on conflict, cooperation and international security; empirical studies of ongoing conflicts, peace-building and human rights; the role of the EU, the UN, NATO and other international organisations in conflict management; and state failure and reconstruction.
Research on mediation practice and conflict regulation at CARC has contributed to the development of resources to enhance professional training standards and democratic participation in conflict-ridden societies. CARC has a long history of global partnerships and setting new standards in professional mediation training currently contributing, with the Forum of Federations (Ottawa), to the development of the Mediation and Negotiation Program of the Organization of American States (OAS) that includes training to more than 25 member states. CARC is particularly well known for its research in the areas of constitutional design, durable solutions to displacement, the nature and evolution of mediation, critical approaches to the study of terrorism and political violence, as well as gender and human rights. We also have a particular interest in issues surrounding migration and diaspora role in conflict and peace-building, the potential and limits of mediation as a conflict management tool and critical perspectives on the nature of terrorism and the ethical issues linked to dialogue and negotiation.
CARC currently offers dedicated negotiation workshop on Enhancing Professional Conflict Resolution Standards aiming to provide training for students and future leaders in mediation practice. The workshops include introduction to key concepts and training through online and face to face simulations emphasizing the key knowledge points and skills needed in interactive negotiations such as identifying best alternatives, revealing or not preferences, seeking win-win arrangements, defeating spoilers, and exercising veto rights-wisely. What is distinctive in CARC’s research and training is the use of multi-player multi-issue mediations customized for the specific needs of the organization commissioning each training session as well as the introduction of new survey tools in assessing public opinion trade-offs in multi-issue, multi-player negotiations using conjoint experiments and integrating the views of different groups within each conflict setting.
Building on this expertise, the School of Politics and International Relations offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate; Masters and PhD options in fields related to the interests of the Centre. There is a range of relevant undergraduate degrees including a BA in Peace, Security and Conflict and MA and PhD programmes in International Conflict Analysis. All programmes can be done on either a full-time or part-time basis. For further information contact Professor Neophytos Loizies or our postgraduate admissions team.
Journals
The following journals are published by CARC academics:
Nationalism and Ethnic Politics (Neophytos Loizides, associate editor)
Critical Studies on Terrorism (Harmonie Toros -editor)
Global Society (Rubrick Biegon-editor-in-chief)
Research projects
Our externally funded research projects include:
- Citizen preferences in the design of effective peace settlements (funded by the US Institute of Peace)
- Securing sector reform and the stability of post-war peace. (funded by the German Institute for Global and Area Studies)
- Truth, accountability or impunity? Transitional justice and the economic crisis (funded by the Economic and Social Research Council)
- Revisiting Cyprus: The British-Cypriot diasporas as peace agents (funded by the British Academy)
- Sustainable Security Index (Funded by the Polden Puckham Charitable Trust)
Datasets
The following datasets are available:
Citizen Preferences about Border Arrangements: Evidence from Conjoint Experiment in Northern Ireland
(replication data for open access publication is available here)
(replication data for published work here)
Referendums in Peace Process Project
(replication data for Designing Peace – Loizides 2016)
Greek-Turkish Negotiations and Crises 1983-2003
(Replication Data for Akisato Suzuki and Neophytos Loizides. 2011. Escalation of Interstate Crises of Conflictual Dyads: Greece-Turkey and India-Pakistan. Cooperation and Conflict 46, no. 1 (March): 21-39.)