Saturday, January 11, 2014

International MA Programs in Peace and Conflict Management, Diplomacy Studies, and Child Development at the University of Haifa



The University of Haifa International School, together with the University of Haifa’s Faculty of Social Sciences, the School of Political Sciences, and the Center for the Study of Child Development is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the MA Program in Peace & Conflict Management Studies, the MA Program in Diplomacy Studies, and the MA in Child Development for the 2014-2015 academic year.
The University of Haifa, located on top of the Carmel Mountain, with breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea, provides the perfect setting for students who are looking for a challenging academic program, both in the classroom and out in the field. An exciting and inspiring cultural mosaic, the University of Haifa is a microcosm of Israeli society, with a diverse population of 18,000 students made up of Jews, Christian and Muslim Arabs, Druze, Bedouin, and international students.
One of Israel's leading research institutions, the University of Haifa is known for its faculty expertise in the fields of international relations, conflict management, diplomatic relations, and peace processes, and is a center for research in these disciplines in Israel. Due to its location and population, the University of Haifa’s Peace & Conflict Management Studies and Diplomacy Studies programs offer students the unique opportunity to be directly involved with issues pertaining to the Arab-Israeli conflict as well as an alternative view to the Middle East and other current global issues.  The programs challenge students to approach these subjects critically and with an open mind.

MA Program in Peace & Conflict Management Studies
The Peace & Conflict Management Studies program began in 2011. The goal of the program is to enable students to understand how conflicts unfold and to provide them with the tools to deal with ethno-national conflicts and peace building initiatives. Through an interdisciplinary curriculum, the program combines an in-depth understanding of theory, research methodology, and hands-on experience to meet this goal.

The Program
The program is built on a combination of theoretical and practical elements and includes:
·         Core and Elective Courses
·         Practicum: This unique and important aspect of the program is designed to expose students to non-governmental and municipal organizations that work for Arab-Jewish and Israeli-Palestinian coexistence and Middle East peace processes.
·         Enrichment: Academic tours, simulations, role playing, and expert panel discussions.
"Israel is a natural location to study peace and conflict. We have here the practical experience of our successes, but also the lessons of our failures. The University of Haifa in particular offers a rich academic experience and research in areas of the sources of conflict, and strategies of conflict management and peacemaking. The city of Haifa is the best example in Israel of peaceful coexistence of diverse groups. This is also represented in our multiethnic student body and University faculty. It makes sense to study peace and conflict management in Israel, and at the University of Haifa in particular,"  -Professor Benny Miller, Head of the Peace and Conflict Management Studies program.

To hear what students and professors say about the program, please click here
For more information about the program, please visit the program website here

The MA Program in Diplomacy Studies
The University of Haifa’s MA Program in Diplomacy Studies is under the auspices of the School of Political Sciences and explores the dynamics of the contemporary, complex, interconnected, and highly-charged international environment, which presents new challenges and opportunities for scholars, policy analysts, and decision makers, both at the international level and in the context of the Middle East.
Against this backdrop, the program elucidates the role of diplomacy as a main vehicle and mechanism for systematically addressing questions and issues that impinge upon the entire region.  With a focus on the role of collaborative diplomatic mechanisms, the program is designed to provide students with new insights, concepts and analytical tools for fully understanding the enhanced functions of diplomacy and to train the next generation of diplomats, researchers, and academics.

The Program
The program is built on a combination of theoretical and practical elements and includes:
·         Core and Elective Courses
·         Simulation Activities:  Including Model UN, the simulation activities are designed to provide students with opportunities for analysis of and experimentation with concrete diplomatic and strategic concepts, decisions, and techniques to emulate real-time crisis situations and practice mitigating and defusing them.
·         Practicum: The practicum gives students the unique opportunity for hands-on experience in the practice of public diplomacy via an internship that allows them access to the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s Department of Digital Diplomacy.
For more information about the practicum, Model UN, and other program highlights, please click here

"The Middle East is permeated with crisis, but there is a diplomatic dimension that often remains obscure. I invite students from around the world to come here to study in our program to become acquainted with the diplomatic face of the Arab-Israeli conflict." -Prof. Avi Ben- Zvi, Academic Head of the Program.

To hear what students and professors say about the program, please click here
For more information about the program, please visit the program website here

The MA in Child Development
The University of Haifa is pleased to announce the opening of the new international MA in Child Development.  This new MA program was created with the aim of improving the lives of children at risk in developing countries around the world. The program is a joint venture between the University’s Faculty of Social Sciences, The Center for the Study of Child Development, and the University of Haifa International School.
The program brings together students from both developing and developed countries and equips them with the necessary tools and skills to influence the lives of at risk children and their families.  The interdisciplinary curriculum covers a wide range of topics and prepares students to work in areas such as child care, nutrition, infant and young child morbidity and mortality, academic motivation, political violence, orphanages and foster care and more.

The Program
The program is built on a combination of theoretical and practical elements and includes:
·         A diverse spread of core courses
·         A supervised final project that integrates the knowledge acquired during the program with practical application as it applies to each student’s country of origin.  This project will hopefully be implemented once the student returns to their home country.
·         Workshops where students can practice interview methods and observational methods for evaluating parent-child and teacher-child relationships, classroom environments, and parents’ representation of their child and parenting style.
“Graduates of the program will be able to obtain central positions in developing countries to advance the welfare and well-being of children as well as exciting positions in NGOs such as Save the Children, and in organizations like the World Bank, UNISEF, and UNESCO.” – Professor Avi Sagi-Schwartz, Head of the Program.

To hear what professors say about the program, please click here
For more information about the program, please visit the program website here

General Information
The MA Program in Peace and Conflict Management Studies, the MA Program in Diplomacy Studies, and the MA in Child Development are taught in English over the course of three consecutive semesters from October to September.  Students can choose either the non-thesis track or have the opportunity to write a master’s thesis during the semester following the year of coursework.
"One of the things I like most about the program is studying with students from around the world, and hearing their different opinions. I would never have had this experience if I had chosen a program in the United States."  -Marian Hale, student in the program for Peace and Conflict Management Studies from Washington D.C.
Scholarships covering tuition, housing and expenses are available for eligible students. For information about the University of Haifa, admissions, tuition, scholarships, academic staff, and accommodations please visit our website www.uhaifa.org or email us at graduate@mail.uhaifa.org

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