Master specialisation: Conflicts, Territories, and Identities

In recent years the world has seen many violent conflicts, ranging from the former Yugoslavia, Congo, Afghanistan to Iraq. Many of the violent conflicts are nowadays fought over issues as identity, territory or resources (e.g. diamonds and oil). War between states has become rare; most of the violent conflicts take place within the borders of a state. In addition, ‘terrorist’ organisations with goals that exceed national agendas have claimed more attention than before. The international community – governments, non-governmental organisations and international organisations like the UN – has a significant interest in the management and resolution of violent conflicts.

• What you will study

• Studying Conflicts, Territories and Identities at the Radboud University Nijmegen

• Programme

• Course Descriptions

• Elective courses

• Assessment

• Career prospects

• Admission

• Radboud University Nijmegen

• Enroll now

What you will study

If you choose the master specialisation Conflicts, Territories and Identities you will study (inter)national conflicts, war and terrorism. We will focus on the backgrounds, contexts and sources - imperialism, geopolitics, failing states, religions, (national) identities, discrimination, resources, borders - and the management and resolution - good governance, border management, humanitarian aid, development aid, diplomacy, peace operations. You will become familiar with the political and social construction of conflicts, territories and identities, as well as with the theory and practice of (inter)national conflict management.

Studying Conflicts, Territories and Identities at the Radboud University Nijmegen

The master programme Conflicts, Territories and Identities is a joint project of the Centre for International Conflict Analysis & Management (CICAM) and the Department of Human Geography of the Radboud University Nijmegen . Together they offer the state-of-the-art knowledge and skills in the field of conflict analysis and management, that you will need in your future career as a scholar, a (inter)national policy or decision maker, a conflict manager, or as a journalist. You will be able to apply scholarly ideas and concepts to complex conflict situations in practice. The central question in this programme is: ‘how can violent conflicts be analysed, understood or explained and how can they be managed?’ You will be taught by professors who study these issues and publish their findings in international academic journals and contribute to the public debate in the Netherlands. You will study theories, methods and instruments, but above all you will develop a critical attitude. You will learn that there are always multiple approaches to any problem. The master programme Conflicts, Territories and Identities includes a variety of cases, individual and group assignments, lectures and seminars, small national excursions, and an international excursion to a (former) conflict zone. The programme gives you the opportunity to share experiences with other students and to link theory with practice. You can also specialise by selecting a specific elective course and by choosing a topic for your final masters thesis. Furthermore there are good opportunities for interesting and challenging research-internships.

Programme

Elective courses

In the programme there is room for one elective course of at least 6 EC. This is a course that you select yourself. It should be a relevant course for the central theme of this master specialisation. Ideally, the elective course forms a close relationship with your master thesis.

There is a sheer endless number of possible elective courses offered by our own department, offered by other disciplines within our faculty, offered by other faculties of the Radboud University, but also courses offered by other universities in the Netherlands or abroad, which could fit your personal research interests. You can explore and make suggestions yourself. The leaflet ‘preparing your master programme’ explains which criteria elective courses have to fulfil. Here are just a few examples:

• Cross Border Governance (Geography, RU)
• Multi-Cultural Society (Geography, RU)
• Foreign and Security Policies of the EU and Other European Organisations (European Law)
• Global Shift: International Political Economy (American Studies)
• Globalisation and Development (Geography)
• Politieke en culturele geografie (Geography)
• Protection of Human Rights in International Law (European Law)
• Protection of Indigenous Peoples and National Minorities in International Law (International & European Law)
• Representations of Otherness (American Studies)

Internship

For your masters thesis you need to do a research. Within the master specialisation a research-internship is part of the programme. Not only does this give you a feeling of professional life in this field, but it also enhances your chances on the job market, but what is more important: this mandatory internship challenges you to relate your theoretical and scientific knowledge to practical and topical research questions and also in a more practical sense this internship facilitates your own empirical field work. Of course the topic of your thesis directs the area where you will do your fieldwork. If you want to do an internship both the CICAM and Human Geography have excellent experiences with and contacts for internships. Previous internships have been amongst others at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the NIIB Clingendael, the Dutch Advisory Council on International Affairs, Pax Christi and PressNow.

Assessment

Throughout the master you will be assessed by a mixture of written exams, essays, papers, projects, oral presentations and your masters thesis.

Career prospects

Graduates in the master specialisation Conflicts, Territories and Identities have a range of career opportunities open to them. One can think of jobs in journalism, research, civil service –such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs -, the security sector – such as Defence -, international organisations – like the United Nations -, and non-governmental organisations – ranging from Oxfam-Novib to Pax Christi. If after graduation you go on to a career in one of these areas, you will find that the knowledge and skills you gained with you Master education will make a very positive difference. Potential employers in these fields will also recognize the importance of specialized education in the field of conflicts, territories and identities, what in turn improves your chances on the job market. In many job vacancies employers do not search a specific degree or field of specialisation, but rather intellectual, academic as well as social skills. In the courses of the master specialisation Conflicts, Territories and Identities and at the university in general you will gain and further develop a lot of these skills.

Admission

A maximum of 25 students can be admitted to this Master Specialisation. Since usually we have more applications than available slots, of those students who fulfil the requirements mentioned below, the best 25 are selected.

The requirements for admission include either:

• a bachelor degree in Human Geography received from the Radboud University Nijmegen

or

• another relevant bachelor degree, with at least 24 EC in conflict studies and/or political geography
• excellent proficiency in English
• a letter of motivation
• two letters of recommendation
• list of your grades obtained during previous training

Note that the final formal admission requirements are regulated by the Teaching and Examination Regulations.
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Radboud University Nijmegen

Radboud University Nijmegen is one of the leading academic institutions in the Netherlands. The Dutch Ministry of Education recently called Radboud University the top research university in the Netherlands. Renowned for its beautiful campus, modern buildings and state-of-the-art equipment, it has eight faculties and over 16,000 students enrolled in approximately 90 study programmes (40 Bachelors programs and more than 50 Masters programmes). The city of Nijmegen was founded by the Romans (its original name, Noviomagus, means New Market) and is thought to be the oldest city in the Netherlands. It is situated near the German border on the banks of the Waal river, a branch of the Rhine delta.

Enroll now

The Master Programme Conflicts, Territories, and Identities starts in September. Deadline to enroll: June 1! (For student from outside the EU the deadline to enroll is March 1, otherwise they will not be able to arrange their visa requirements in time) To enroll, please write your application before June 1 to Mrs. Jackie van de Walle, telephone: +31-(0)24-361 60 49.

You can send your application either by email or by letter to:
Radboud University Nijmegen
Mrs. Jackie van de Walle
Thomas van Aquinostraat 3
PO BOX 9108
6500 HK Nijmegen
The Netherlands

Contact

For more information please contact the study advisor: MSc. Jackie van de Walle (j.vandewalle@fm.ru.nl), Room TvA 3.1_38, telephone: +31-(0)24 - 361 60 49.

You can also download a flyer on this master specialisation.