Nesrin Hannoun, a Jordanian citizen with work experience on several continents, is no stranger to multicultural experiences. Still, she recalls the first course towards her Master's degree - which she earned in 2004 - as a shock. "There were 13 students from 12 different countries", she says, commenting on the vast diversity of voices that existed in the group. "It really shapes the discussion." With a total of 137 students from 37 countries enrolled in 2006 alone, Ms. Hannoun's alma mater is quite unlike most universities. Measured by percentiles, the University for Peace (UPEACE), located in Costa Rica, is among the most diverse schools on earth.

In October 2006, UPEACE briefly took centre stage in the UN General Assembly's Fourth Committee, which heard a resolution acknowledging The University's recent success and calling for stronger ties between UPEACE and the United Nations. "With the efforts to revitalize and strengthen the University, it is now, more than ever, a recognized and respected international institution for education, training and research on all issues related to peace and conflict", the text states. Member States said that they were pleased with the University's recent progress and approved the resolution by consensus.

The UPeace Campus, located 20 km southwest of San Jose. Photo/UPeace

UPEACE has undoubtedly undergone many changes since its establishment. The University was mandated by the General Assembly in 1980 after a resolution sponsored by Costa Rica-the first nation to abolish its army-called for an institution promoting global peace and tolerance. It began offering short-term training courses in 2000 and expanded its scholarship to full-length graduate degree programmes only a few years ago. In an effort to keep the University apolitical and academic, it was given its own charter and financial independence from the United Nations. However, UPEACE staff and students are proud to claim the United Nations "ethos" as the lifeblood of the school. "The University tries to provide the service that supports the goals of the UN", says Ms. Hannoun, who now works at the United Nations as a gender affairs officer with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). She added that those goals are a major component of the day-to-day culture of UPEACE.

"We are part of [the UN's] life, and they are part of ours", agrees George Tsaï, Vice Rector of the University. Aside from the sharing values and goals, UPEACE representatives are active in United Nations bodies in Costa Rica, even occasionally hosting UN meetings and events. Mr. Tsaï adds that the University's academic curricula also developed from the UN culture, with extensive multicultural consultation and even practical exploratory missions as their basis. "We're anti-ivory tower", he chuckles.
The resolution on strengthening the University for Peace seems appropriately situated in the Fourth Committee, which also tackles matters of decolonization and political self-determination. Graduates of the UPEACE programmes -which include international law and human rights, gender and peacebuilding and peace education - often find careers in colonized, post-conflict or newly independent regions. Regions that have yet to shrug off colonial leadership appear prominently in other Fourth Committee matters as the General Assembly continues to pursue the self-determination of all of its represented regions.

In international affairs, and in post-conflict regions in particular, working carefully within social and cultural frameworks is often essential. 2005 alumnus Balász Áron Kovács, now a programme officer at the Budapest-based non-governmental organization Freedom House, says he learned to focus on local nuances in his UPEACE regional studies courses. In Eastern Europe, he adds, slow-changing social attitudes are often an overlooked roadblock to peace and stability. In Hungary, for instance, four national youth groups, representing four distinct political parties, sometimes clash over aspects of the country's new democracy. Dealing directly with these groups "requires a lot of sensitive negotiating", Mr. Kovacs says. Ms. Hannoun agrees that UPEACE's balance between academic theory and practical training has given her a deeper understanding of regional issues, especially when a student brings a professional background to his or her studies. "It makes you reflect on what you've been doing", she says.

In early 2004, UPEACE gained major international recognition as it accomplished an unprecedented feat in the peace education community: its regional Africa programme was adopted by the Nigerian Minister of Higher Education, who decided to make it a mandatory component of all undergraduate programmes in the country. An introduction to peace and conflict in West Africa will soon be integrated into the curricula of all 54 universities in Nigeria, and 120 university libraries have received resources and teaching materials. According to the Committee's resolution, the UPEACE Africa programme is also moving toward finalizing partnership arrangements with the African Union.

UN photo

As regional programmes become more of a focus for UPEACE, Mr. Tsaï says that the University would like to continue to push other institutions to develop their own peace studies curricula. In April 2007, UPEACE will begin offering a programme in conjunction with the Ateneo de Manila, a renowned University in the Philippines, where students will spend an initial semester. They will then spend one at UPEACE's Costa Rica campus, and then another in Manila, with the goal of working in conflict areas of the Philippines. While the programme will be highly specialized, it will utilize the same scholarship and training as that of UPEACE's traditional curricula. Mr. Tsaï says that working with outside institutions-what he calls the "the multiplier effect"-is the future of UPEACE. "Our alumni can have a significant impact. But to be able to have an impact on millions, well, that is really something."

For more information on the University for Peace, please visit www.upeace.org