Understanding Violent Conflict

Overview

Today’s violent conflicts are networked and complex, trans-border and multi-dimensional. While the increasing complexity of violent conflict makes these conflicts particularly prolonged, deadly, and intractable, it poses a particular challenge for those responding to conflict, as the international system remains ill-equipped to respond with adequate frames, analysis, and mandates across borders. The UVC is based on a series of research collaborations with institutions in Africa and the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, and aims to:

Strengthen the evidence base for international conflict and development studies through an interdisciplinary approach to better understanding the complexities of violent conflict with a focus on innovation and a “what works?” framework to conflict response;

Deliver experience-based findings from hard-to-access research sites, as well as conflict perspectives that are often hidden from international peace and security practitioners;

Catalyze new thinking and research on the political economies of war, emerging conflict actors and war technologies, forced displacement and return, justice and security, and public authority;

Further innovate and refine methods of field research in conflict-affected settings through trainings and by involving networks of international and national researchers and local beneficiaries at each stage of the research process in equitable collaboration; and

Manage two major international fellowship programs on conflict research. The Conflict Research Fellowship (CRF) is now closed and is no longer accepting applications. The China-Africa Peace Fellowship is now closed and is no longer accepting applications at this time.

For news and announcements about the UVC program's activities, please scroll down.