1. Background and Rationale of the program
We live in a time of unparalleled opportunities for development instant information communication technology, global interconnection and integration, free market and so forth. In stark contrast to this, we also live in a time of unparalleled challenges to peace and development as well–conflict at the local, national, and international levels (racial and ethnic conflict, economic conflict, interpersonal conflict, political conflict, class conflict, identity conflict). All societies have the need for promoting peace, cooperative relationships, improving security, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness and sustainable development at all levels of economy, education, governance, and environmental protection.
Peace is not only the absence of war, but it is also the capacity and ability of the Nation-State to protect the safety and security of all its citizens. Stable and strong state creates and maintains conditions that allow internal or external sources of conflicts to be resolved peacefully. Scarcity and inefficient use of resources, unequal opportunities, and poor performances may weaken the peace and may pave the way to conflicts and disputes in a society. The complexity and dynamism of peace and development in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa will be the focus of the PhD program in Peace and Development Studies of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities at Haramaya University.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) of Ethiopia (FDRE 2010), Ethiopia’s Vision for a Climate Resilient Green Economy (FDRE 2008), and the Haramaya University Research Thematic Areas (HU 2013) all call for Ethiopia to work hard to coordinate its traditional and modern institutions and promote democratic pluralism (multilingualism, multiculturalism, tolerance, and etc.), peace building (conflict management, aversion, and resolution), social transformation (in economy, culture, tourism, science and technology) and competitively partake and benefit from the indispensable opportunities that globalization offers. Peace-building and democratization of the governance system is one of the fundamental conditions for the sustainable social transformation, green economy, and sustainable development of Developing Countries. In turn, these guarantee them to enter into the club of the Middle Income Economies.
Subsequently, Haramaya University has selected in its Research Thematic Areas (2013) “Peace and Conflict Management System Studies” and “Development Studies” as among the top priority research and development themes. Under these themes, the university has planned to launch research on mechanisms that generate practical knowledge of the nature, types, causes, and social level of recurrent disputes and conflicts and their major impacts on the rights of individuals and interest groups and on various socio-economic aspects of the society. The Research Thematic Areas guideline also targets, under the same theme, research topics that investigate the dynamics of conflict, the understanding of the customary dispute settlement and its interface with the formal dispute settlement process, capacity of justice sectors and conflict resolution mechanisms, including inquiry on rehabilitation and restoration of traditional justice systems and so forth.
Haramaya University intends to launch this PhD by Research Only Program in Peace and Development Studies (PDS) with the aim of addressing the current needs of highly qualified professionals in Ethiopia and other countries of the Horn of Africa. The university works towards becoming the centre of excellence in the area of Peace and Development Studies in Africa in general and the Horn of Africa in particular.
2. Admission Requirement
Applicants with a master’s degree from the following fields of study can join the Ph.D. program in Peace & Development Studies: Peace and Development Studies, Peace Studies, Conflict Studies, Peace and Security Studies, Peace & Conflict Studies, Conflict Management, Conflict Resolution, Sociology, Gender and Development, Development Studies, Governance Studies, Political Sciences, International Relations, Social Anthropology, History, Law, Development economics & Policy studies.
All applicants to the Ph.D. program in Peace & Development Studies must have a minimum of a ‘Good Grade’ (B+) in their Master’s Thesis.
All applicants must submit an application letter together with:
- Authenticated educational documents (official transcript of both BA and MA degrees, official MA Diploma, and evidence of MA thesis grade),
- Three recommendation letters from former instructors,
- A letter of sponsorship or signing an agreement with the university if he/she is self-sponsored; and
- A synopsis (3-5 pages) on a selected topic in the area of Peace and/or Development Studies that may be considered for a Ph.D. dissertation.
3. Graduation Requirements
To be eligible for a Ph.D. in Peace and Development Studies, a candidate must:
- Take 60 ECTS (36 Cr.Hrs) of course work and score a minimum CGPA of 3.00 and with no more than one C grade;
- Complete 120 ECTS (72 Cr.Hrs) of research work from which a dissertation is prepared, defended, and passed with the minimum of B grade;
- Submit a hard and soft copy of at least one published article or letter of acceptance of a submitted manuscript for publication in a reputable and peer-reviewed journal/s from his/her doctoral dissertation; and Submit six hard copies and one soft copy of dissertation.
4. Degree nomenclature
The degree nomenclature of the program is Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Peace and Development Studies with two streams; namely, Ph.D. in Peace and Development Studies (Peace Stream) and Ph.D. in Peace and Development Studies (Development Stream). The Amharic versions of the two streams are የፍልስፍና ዶክትሬት ዲግሪ በሰላምና ልማት ጥናት (በሰላም ዘርፍ) and የፍልስፍና ዶክትሬት ዲግሪ በሰላምና ልማት ጥናት (በልማት ዘርፍ).