|
UPM 6001 |
UPEACE Foundation Course
UPM 6001-UPEACE Foundation Course3CreditsThe UPEACE Foundation Course provides a critical and concise introduction to the broad field of “Peace Studies” for students in all UPEACE programmes. It initially addresses key conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of the origins and development of peace studies as an interdisciplinary area within the fields of international relations and political economy, as well as a basic understanding of conflict analysis. Based on a critical analysis of policies, strategies, policies, institutions, organizations, and movements, the course then examines a range of core issues, dimensions, perspectives, and paradigms for understanding the root causes of conflicts and violence and constructive strategies to address them and build peace in contemporary global, international, regional, national and local contexts, including conflict management, conflict resolution, and conflict transformation; alternative discourse analysis; militarization and disarmament; human rights violations and promotion; gender inequalities, gender-based violence and gender mainstreaming; structural violence, human security, development and globalization; environmental sustainability; corporate social responsibility; cultural and religious identities; media’s role in conflict and peacebuilding; strategies of nonviolence; and peace education. This Foundations course will be essential in catalyzing the awareness, understanding, and motivation of UPEACE students from diverse academic programmes to relate, ground, or intersect their specific areas of academic and practitioner interest with core theoretical, conceptual, and analytical ideas in peace studies.
|
Mandatory |
Amr Abdalla(Egypt/United States)
Amr AbdallaEgypt/United States
Professor Emeritus, University for Peace
Dr. Abdalla is a Professor Emeritus at the University for Peace (UPEACE) established by the General Assembly of the United Nations with main campus in Costa Rica. He is also the Senior Advisor on Conflict Resolution at the Washington-based organization KARAMAH (Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights).
From 2014 to 2017 he was the Senior Advisor on Policy Analysis and Research at the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) of Addis Ababa University. In 2013-2014, he was Vice President of SALAM Institute for Peace and Justice in Washington, D.C. From 2004-2013 he was Professor, Dean and Vice Rector at UPEACE. Prior to that, he was a Senior Fellow with the Peace Operations Policy Program, School of Public Policy, at George Mason University, Virginia. He was also a Professor of Conflict Analysis and Resolution at the Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences in Leesburg, Virginia.
Both his academic and professional careers are multi-disciplinary. He obtained a law degree in Egypt in 1977 where he practiced law as a prosecuting attorney from 1978 to 1986. From 1981-1986, he was a member of the public prosecutor team investigating the case of the assassination of President Sadat and numerous other terrorism cases. He then emigrated to the U.S. where he obtained a Master's degree in Sociology and a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University. He has been teaching graduate classes in conflict analysis and resolution, and has conducted training, research and evaluation of conflict resolution and peacebuilding programs in numerous countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas.
He has been an active figure in promoting inter-faith dialogue and effective cross-cultural messages through workshops and community presentations in the United States and beyond. He pioneered the development of the first conflict resolution teaching and training manual for Muslim communities titled (“…Say Peace”). He also founded Project LIGHT (Learning Islamic Guidance for Human Tolerance), a community peer-based anti-discrimination project funded by the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ). In 2011, he established with Egyptian UPEACE graduates a program for community prevention of sectarian violence in Egypt (Ahl el Hetta). In 2018 he led the publication of the first Arabic Glossary of Terms in Peace and Conflict Studies in cooperation with UNDP-Iraq and the Iraqi Amal Association.
Mihir Kanade(India)
Dr. Mihir Kanade (India) is the Academic Coordinator of the University for Peace, the Head of its Department of International Law, and the Director of the UPEACE Human Rights Centre. He holds an LL.B. from Nagpur University (India) and a Master degree and Doctorate from UPEACE. He is also an adjunct faculty at Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio (Spain), Cheikh Anta Diop University (Senegal), and Long Island University (United States). His principal area of academic research and study is International Law, Human Rights and Globalization, covering several themes within that interface including trade and investment, sustainable development, forced migration, indigenous peoples’ rights, public health, amongst others. He has extensive experience in training staff of inter-governmental, governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as professionals, in the field of human rights. He acts as an advisor to several human rights organizations and corporations on issues related to international law and human rights. He serves on the International Advisory Board of the International Bar Association on the topic of Business and Human Rights. He also leads a project of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on promoting the Right to Development. Prior to his pursuit in academia, Mihir practiced for several years as a lawyer at the Bombay High Court and at the Supreme Court of India.
Mariateresa Garrido Villareal(Venezuela)
Mariateresa Garrido VillarealVenezuela
Dr. Mariateresa Garrido (Venezuela) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of International Law at UPEACE and the Doctoral Committee Coordinator. She is an international lawyer and holds a Doctorate from UPEACE. Her main research area is related to the exercise of the right to freedom of expression and the protection of journalists in Latin America; but she is also researching on the interaction between human rights and Information and Communication Technologies. She uses mixed methodologies and legal research to explore linkages between the law, journalism and new technologies. She also holds two Master’s Degrees; one from UPEACE in International Law and the Settlement of the Disputes and one from the Central University of Venezuela in Public International Law.
Olivia Sylvester(Canada)
Olivia Sylvester, Ph.D., is the Head of the Environment, Development and Peace Department, and assistant professor at the University for Peace. She is also an adjunct professor for Long Island University and teaches in their Global Studies programme. In the last decade, Olivia’s research program has focused on food security, sustainable agriculture, climate change, environmental justice, and gender. Specifically, she works with Indigenous people, women, small-scale farmers, and youth on these topics. Her research is driven by social and environmental justice and she uses relevant methodologies (e.g., Indigenous, feminist) to achieve these goals. Olivia is also member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the International Society of Ethnobiology, and the Intellectual Property Issues in Cultural Heritage Project. Being active within these networks allows her to work at the interface of policy and practice.
Alonso Muñoz(Costa Rica)
Alonso Muñoz is Instructor in the Department of Environment and Development at the University for Peace, where he coordinates the Master of Arts (MA) degree in Responsible Management and Sustainable Economic Development (RMSED). He holds a BSc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Costa Rica and a Msc. in Business Administration. He has worked in the private sector as a consultant and as an entrepreneur, and has volunteered on various national and international projects regarding peace education, migration, environmental impact of systems and Social Enterprises. His most recent work revolves around Circular Economy, a field that he feels passionate about, and for which he has high expectations. He is a novelist, a blogger, a peace advocate, an entrepreneur and passionate about social and environmental development.
Adriana Salcedo(Ecuador/United States)
Adriana SalcedoEcuador/United States
Biography
Head and Assistant Professor, Department of Peace and Conflict Studies
Dr. Adriana Salcedo is a scholar-practitioner in the field of conflict transformation and peacebuilding with a focus on conflict, gender, identity and migration. She holds a Doctorate in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from the George Mason University School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (S-CAR), in Virginia, United States. For this degree, she conducted extensive research on forced migration, conflict and the social integration of refugees in the Colombian-Ecuadorian borderlands and in inner cities in Ecuador. She is deeply committed to achieving positive social change through non-violent means and to strengthening social actors including grass-roots organizations, indigenous communities and minority groups through her research and practice.
Adriana has taught courses at the Simón Bolívar Andean University in Quito, Ecuador, at George Mason University in Washington D.C. and at Boston University in conflict analysis, collaborative methodologies for building peace, mediation, gender and migration. She was a visiting professor at the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University for Peace (Costa Rica) for three consecutive years (2017-2019) before joining UPEACE as a resident faculty member.
As a practitioner, Adriana has provided training for the Northern Virginia Mediation Center (as a Certified Instructor/Mediator) and for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as well as for the Canadian Embassy in the Dominican Republic and the Observatory of Migration in the Caribbean (OBMICA). With more than fifteen years of experience in analyzing and transforming social conflicts, her professional practice has covered the Amazon basin, the Galapagos Islands and the Andean region (Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia), the United States, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. She has conducted research and collaborated with various public, private and civil society institutions across the Americas and the Caribbean.
Biografía
Directora y Profesora Asistente, Departamento de Estudios de Paz y Conflicto
La Dra. Adriana Salcedo es una profesional que combina la teoría y práctica en el campo de la transformación de conflictos y la construcción de la paz con un enfoque en conflictos, género, identidades y migración. Obtuvo su Doctorado en Análisis y Resolución de Conflictos de la Escuela de Análisis y Resolución de Conflictos (S-CAR) de la Universidad George Mason, en Virginia, Estados Unidos. Para esto, realizó una extensa investigación sobre la migración forzada, los conflictos y la integración social de refugiados/as en las tierras fronterizas colombo-ecuatorianas y en las ciudades del interior de Ecuador. Está profundamente comprometida a lograr un cambio social positivo a través de medios no violentos y a fortalecer a los actores sociales a través de su investigación y práctica (principalmente organizaciones de base, las comunidades indígenas y los grupos minoritarios).
Adriana ha impartido cursos en la Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar en Quito, Ecuador, en la Universidad George Mason en Washington D.C. y en la Universidad de Boston en análisis de conflictos, metodologías colaborativas para construcción de la paz, mediación, género y migración. Fue profesora visitante en el Departamento de Estudios de Paz y Conflictos de la Universidad para la Paz (Costa Rica) durante tres años consecutivos (2017-2019) antes de unirse a UPEACE como profesor residente.
En su práctica profesional, Adriana ha brindado capacitación para el Centro de Mediación del Norte de Virginia (como Instructora / Mediadora Certificada) y para el Fondo de las Naciones Unidas para la Infancia (UNICEF), así como para la Embajada de Canadá en la República Dominicana y el Centro para la Observación Migratoria y el Desarrollo Social del Caribe (OBMICA). Con más de quince años de experiencia en el análisis y transformación de conflictos sociales, su práctica profesional ha cubierto la cuenca del Amazonas, las Islas Galápagos y la región andina (Ecuador, Colombia y Bolivia), los Estados Unidos, la República Dominicana y Haití. Ha realizado varias investigaciones y colaborado con varias instituciones públicas, privadas y de la sociedad civil en la región de las Américas y del Caribe.
Uzma Rashid(Pakistan)
Associate Professor, Department of Peace and Conflict Studies
Dr. Uzma Rashid currently serves as Associate Professor, Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University for Peace, Costa Rica. Prior to joining UPEACE, she worked as Chair at the Department of Sociology, and Associate Dean for Research of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Management and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan. Dr. Rashid has done her PhD as a Fulbright scholar from the interdisciplinary Language, Literacy, and Culture program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, USA, and has extensive teaching and research experience in a variety of contexts. Her current research interests lie at the intersections of gender, religion, race, ethnicity, and class, in particular focusing on intersectionality and inclusivity in peacebuilding efforts.
She can be reached at urashid@upeace.org
|
3 |
3 weeks |
27-Sep-2021 15-Oct-2021 |
8:45 a.m.-11:45 a.m. |
Council Room |
|
RMSED 6047 |
Development Studies and International Cooperation
RMSED 6047 -Development Studies and International Cooperation3CreditsThis course is an introduction to development studies and international cooperation. The course covers the historical origins of development thinking in the post colonial world. It reviews modernization theory and the implications it had for foreign policy during the cold war period. This is contrasted with a critical review of dependency theories and structuralism. The course then uncovers the precepts of the Washington consensus as an introduction to the thinking of Amartya Sen and the world of alternative participatory development, the fields of popular education and participatory learning and action. This review (first week of the course) combines the description of developmental theories and concepts, with a deconstruction of the policies pursued by the man development agencies (World Bank, UN Agencies, BINGOS, CBOs, etc.). The second week of the course introduces students to the sustainable development goals and the concept of multilateralism. The SDGs are presented as a set of indicators that can lead humanity towards collective action for urgent systemic change. The final week of the course explores key current hot topics in development practice Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss, Gender Mainstreaming, Disaster Risk Reduction and Multistakeholder Partnerships.
Through a combination of lectures and workshop dynamics students will learn to distinguish between the main concepts, theories and tools of development thinking and practice. The course will allow participants to explore "development" and "International Cooperation" as ideas, professions, institutions and narratives. The course is structured into 14 lessons, each composed of a lecture and two group work activities designed to build skills of students in the use of technical tools commonly used by development practitioners. Classes and lectures are designed to reinforce a sense of urgency and hope for transformative development practice among participants.
|
Mandatory |
Kifah Sasa Marin(Costa Rica / Jordan )
Kifah Sasa MarinCosta Rica / Jordan
Kifah Sasa es el Oficial de Programa de Desarrollo Sostenible y Resiliencia del Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo en Costa Rica. Desde el año 2009 funge como asesor senior del Programa Green Commodities, asesorando gobiernos y socios clave de cadenas productivas alrededor del mundo sobre cómo mejorar desempeño ambiental de materias primas. Kifah ha trabajado por el desarrollo social y el medio ambiente desde hace 17 años en diferentes facetas. Desde liderar y crear organizaciones parar apoyar grupos de base y comunitarios de manera voluntaria; hasta asesorar ministros centroamericanos de Integración Social, Vivienda y Salud en temas el manejo de proyectos regionales. Desde hace una década está vinculado al Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarollo en temas de biodiversidad, conservación marina, economía ambiental; cadenas productivas sostenibles de commodities agrícolas. Desde hace 5 años es también responsable de la cartera de Desarrollo Sostenible de esa agencia en Costa Rica. Se formó en el Reino Unido (Middlesex, BA, MA), Holanda (ISS, Post Dip) y Costa Rica.
Kifah Sasa is Sustainable Development Program Officer for the United Nations Development Programme in Costa Rica. Since 2009 he works as senior advisor for the Green Commodities Programme, advising governments and supply chain stakeholders on how to improve the environmental and social performance of commodity supply chains. Kifah has worked for social development and the environment for 17 years in different roles. From setting up and leading NGOs to support community organizations on a voluntary basis; to advising Central American Ministers of Social Integration, Housing and Health on the management of regional projects, as part of the Central American Integration System. For the past decade he has worked for the United Nations Development Programme, managing projects related to biodiversity conservation, marine protected areas, environmental economics; sustainable production of agricultural commodities and democratic dialogue. For the last 5 years he is responsible for UNDPs Sustainable Development portfolio in Costa Rica. He was trained in the United Kingdom (Middlesex, B.A, MA) and The Netherlands (ISS, Post Dip), Costa Rica.
|
3 |
3 weeks |
18-Oct-2021 05-Nov-2021 |
8:45 AM-11:45 AM |
Classroom #3 |
|
UPM 6003 |
The United Nations System and...
UPM 6003-The United Nations System and UPMUNC (Part I)2CreditsThe course is intended to familiarize students with the creation, objectives, evolution, main entities, and principal areas of work of the United Nations system. The course will look in some detail at the United Nations Charter and the functions of the UN’s principal organs before delving into the UN’s work in spurring cooperation to address a number of key contemporary global challenges, such as those in the areas of sustainable development, international migration and large-scale refugee flows, and climate change and environmental degradation.
|
Mandatory |
Mihir Kanade(India)
Dr. Mihir Kanade (India) is the Academic Coordinator of the University for Peace, the Head of its Department of International Law, and the Director of the UPEACE Human Rights Centre. He holds an LL.B. from Nagpur University (India) and a Master degree and Doctorate from UPEACE. He is also an adjunct faculty at Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio (Spain), Cheikh Anta Diop University (Senegal), and Long Island University (United States). His principal area of academic research and study is International Law, Human Rights and Globalization, covering several themes within that interface including trade and investment, sustainable development, forced migration, indigenous peoples’ rights, public health, amongst others. He has extensive experience in training staff of inter-governmental, governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as professionals, in the field of human rights. He acts as an advisor to several human rights organizations and corporations on issues related to international law and human rights. He serves on the International Advisory Board of the International Bar Association on the topic of Business and Human Rights. He also leads a project of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on promoting the Right to Development. Prior to his pursuit in academia, Mihir practiced for several years as a lawyer at the Bombay High Court and at the Supreme Court of India.
Guest Speakers()
Elayne Whyte(Costa Rica )
Elayne Whyte is a Costa Rican diplomat and academic. In 2014, the Government of Costa Rica appointed her as Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations and other international organizations based in Geneva, Switzerland. In 2017 Ambassador Whyte Gómez presided over the proceedings of the United Nations Conference that negotiated and adopted the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
She has ample experience in the functioning of treaty-based disarmament or security regimes at the global and regional levels, where she has served in leadership roles and processes: co-Chaired the 5th Meeting of the States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica, Mr. Manuel González Sanz, and served as Vice-president of the First Review Conference of the Cluster Munitions Treaty. She was Coordinator on Transparency Measures of the CCM, co-chaired the ad hoc Working Group on Treaty Implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty and was Vice-president of the Second Conference of the States Parties of Arms Trade Treaty in 2016. Was a Member of the Committee on the Implementation of Article 5 of the Conference of the States parties to the Anti-Personnel Landmine Convention (APLC) and a Vice-president of the Conference of the States parties of the APLC. Also served as President of the Central America Security Commission in 2002.
Elayne Whyte Gómez joined the diplomatic service of Costa Rica in 1998, after serving for four years as Legislative Advisor and Chief of Staff at the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica. Prior to her appointment to Geneva, Ambassador Whyte Gómez held leadership positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cult of Costa Rica, where was Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship from 2000 to 2002, Policy Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1998 to 2000 and Chief of Staff of the Minister from 2009 to 2010.
Elayne Whyte worked as Executive Director of the Mesoamerica Project for Integration and Development from 2010 to 2014. She also gained experience as consultant to international organizations as a specialist in regional integration, human rights and regional security for the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, ILO, among others, from 2003 to 2009.
Elayne Whyte has more than 20 years of academic experience, including as a Professor and Researcher of Foreign Policy at the School of International Affairs and Institute of Latin American Studies, National University of Costa Rica, from 1995 to 2008. She serves on the Academic Board of the Central American Report on Sustainable Human Development, at the International Advisory Board of the Center for Non Proliferation (CNS) and is part of the Board of Advisors to the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. She is the author of a series of publications on regional integration, security, foreign policy and human rights issues. She holds a Master’s degree in International Policy Studies (1993) from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, California, United States. She also has a degree in International Relations (1991) from the Autonomous University of Central America, San Jose. In 2018 Elayne Whyte received the Doctor in Humane Letters Honoris Causa academic distinction, by the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, California and several distinctions and awards.
|
2 |
2 weeks |
18-Oct-2021 05-Nov-2021 |
1:15 pm-2:45 pm |
Council Room |
|
RMSED 6040 |
Review of Economic Theories and...
RMSED 6040-Review of Economic Theories and Concepts3CreditsEconomics play an important role in organising human activity. This course is an introduction to the histories, actualities, and futures of economic thinking. The purpose is to expose and critically analyse the development of the most influential economic theories, and review them in the light of contemporary eco-social challenges. Throughout the course, we’ll keep referring to the following questions: how do economic systems work; what and who is economics for; and what are the underlying assumptions behind different economic theories? Which are meant to help us holistically understand how we got to where we are, and most of all, where should we go from here. This development will make us see that complex issues require a new way of understanding.
That’s why we will explore the Systems Thinking approach. Which will give us the opportunity to better understand (and make understandable for others) how a system that is currently resulting in some form of harm has the potential to change.
|
Mandatory |
Alonso Muñoz(Costa Rica)
Alonso Muñoz is Instructor in the Department of Environment and Development at the University for Peace, where he coordinates the Master of Arts (MA) degree in Responsible Management and Sustainable Economic Development (RMSED). He holds a BSc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Costa Rica and a Msc. in Business Administration. He has worked in the private sector as a consultant and as an entrepreneur, and has volunteered on various national and international projects regarding peace education, migration, environmental impact of systems and Social Enterprises. His most recent work revolves around Circular Economy, a field that he feels passionate about, and for which he has high expectations. He is a novelist, a blogger, a peace advocate, an entrepreneur and passionate about social and environmental development.
|
3 |
3 weeks |
08-Nov-2021 26-Nov-2021 |
8:45 AM-11:45 AM |
Classroom #1 |
|
RMSED 6045 |
Circular Economy, a regenerative System
RMSED 6045- Circular Economy, a regenerative System3CreditsWhat is now generally defined as “development” has not come without a cost. The industrial model standing at the roots of our current standards of living has been based on a linear system of production, where natural resources are extracted from the Earth; processed in manufacturing plants, used by consumers around the world; and finally get either incinerated or discarded as waste in landfills or in Nature. The current system, which relies on large quantities of cheap, easily accessible materials and energy, is coming up against constraints on the availability of resources, and our capacity to manage its huge amounts of waste. Resource constraints, as well as increasing volumes of waste and pollution compounded by the rising demand from the world’s growing and increasingly affluent population, are likely to impose mounting threats to welfare and wellbeing. All the key indicators confirm that the problems of a linear economy are grounded in the global economy.
The ‘circular economy’ is an industrial system that is restorative by intention and design. The idea is that rather than discarding products before the value is fully utilized; products should be designed for ease of reuse, disassembly, recycling, and remanufacturing. The transition towards a circular economy offers an opportunity to reduce our ecological footprint by lowering raw material consumption and minimizing waste generation. This, no doubt, is a major prerequisite to stay within the Planetary Boundaries.
This course includes an introduction to the Circular Economy concept. It provides an array of case examples, a solid framework, and guiding principles for implementing it. Ultimately, the Circular Economy is about the optimization of entire processes and systems rather than single components. The transition towards a circular economy is one of the biggest challenges we face in order to create a more sustainable society. This transition requires an interdisciplinary approach, combining socio-technical, managerial, and environmental considerations.
|
Mandatory |
Alonso Muñoz(Costa Rica)
Alonso Muñoz is Instructor in the Department of Environment and Development at the University for Peace, where he coordinates the Master of Arts (MA) degree in Responsible Management and Sustainable Economic Development (RMSED). He holds a BSc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Costa Rica and a Msc. in Business Administration. He has worked in the private sector as a consultant and as an entrepreneur, and has volunteered on various national and international projects regarding peace education, migration, environmental impact of systems and Social Enterprises. His most recent work revolves around Circular Economy, a field that he feels passionate about, and for which he has high expectations. He is a novelist, a blogger, a peace advocate, an entrepreneur and passionate about social and environmental development.
|
3 |
3 weeks |
30-Nov-2021 17-Dec-2021 |
8:45 AM-11:45 AM |
Classroom #4 |
|
RMSED 6049 |
Research Methods
RMSED 6049 -Research Methods3CreditsIn this course we will critically examine research methodology. Our course is designed to take students sequentially through the process of thinking about and designing research. Together, we will explore the basic structure of research and examine the philosophical origins of different research approaches. I will guide students as they learn to link different information-gathering methods to different research approaches. My emphasis will be on qualitative research methodology but we will introduce quantitative data gathering and sampling. To ensure that students gain hands on experience with the process of developing methodologies and implementing different information gathering procedures, I will complement lectures with workshops where students will learn by doing. Furthermore, learning about methods requires analyzing how these methods have worked (or not) in real-world case studies; thus, in class discussions of published research will complement workshops and lectures.
|
Mandatory |
Koen Voorend(Holland)
|
3 |
3 weeks |
10-Jan-2022 28-Jan-2022 |
8:45 AM-11:45 AM |
Classroom #3 |
|
RMSED 6043 |
Introduction to Responsible Management
RMSED 6043-Introduction to Responsible Management3CreditsThe justification for the proposed course is addressing crucial issues in our contemporary society. The roles and responsibilities of business as well as governments and social sector are becoming more urgent and complex, and concepts related to societal responsibility and sustainability – like human rights, gender issues and impacts on the environment - are gaining recognition as essential elements in business management. The need for responsible global citizens, leaders and managers is urgent and this course will help students in sharing and providing ideas, frameworks, and case studies to ensure that they will understand their role as future responsible citizens, leaders and managers. A more “responsible” workforce will allow governments, corporations, NGOs and communities to contribute, rather than detract from the sustainability of the world. Recent empirical research shows that profitability is sometimes greater for those companies that are actively engaged in the resolution of global issues and that a better interconnection between all sectors will achieve a more sustainable development and world economy.
The course will be taught as a combination between theories and practical exercises which will be introduced and coached by external experts from the public, corporate and social sectors. For all topics addressed, the course is aiming for a reality check – that will result for some in a reality shock – by introducing different and sometimes opposing models and research outcomes to similar issues because responsible managers should be able to deal with the complexity of contradictory viewpoints and interests that are often there in reality.
|
Mandatory |
Andre Nijhof(Netherlands)
André Nijhof (1969) has a masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Twente. He started his working life as a researcher of organisational change in multinational companies like Akzo Nobel, Asito, Shell Pernis, Stegeman Sara Lee and Vredestein. Based on his research he finished his PhD at the University of Twente just before the turn of the century (1999). Next he became a senior consultant at Q-Consult, where he specialized in corporate social responsibility and the implementation of management systems. Andre is former chairman of the Dutch Network on Business Ethics. Since 2007 he has been associate professor at the European Institute for Business Ethics, part of Nyenrode Business Universiteit.
|
3 |
3 weeks |
31-Jan-2022 18-Feb-2022 |
8:45 AM-11:45 AM |
Classroom #5 |
|
RMSED 6066 |
Organization Responsibility
RMSED 6066-Organization Responsibility3CreditsTBA
|
Mandatory |
Alonso Muñoz(Costa Rica)
Alonso Muñoz is Instructor in the Department of Environment and Development at the University for Peace, where he coordinates the Master of Arts (MA) degree in Responsible Management and Sustainable Economic Development (RMSED). He holds a BSc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Costa Rica and a Msc. in Business Administration. He has worked in the private sector as a consultant and as an entrepreneur, and has volunteered on various national and international projects regarding peace education, migration, environmental impact of systems and Social Enterprises. His most recent work revolves around Circular Economy, a field that he feels passionate about, and for which he has high expectations. He is a novelist, a blogger, a peace advocate, an entrepreneur and passionate about social and environmental development.
|
3 |
3 weeks |
23-Feb-2022 15-Mar-2022 |
8:45 AM-11:45 AM |
Classroom #1 |
|
RMSED 6010 |
Social Responsibility
RMSED 6010-Social Responsibility3CreditsThe Agenda 2030 calls for partnership between all actors in society, solidarity and redistribution of resources towards the most needed. Moreover it puts emphasis on the need to review our current economic system and urges to find a balance between economic prosperity and the safeguard of our planet and its resources.
In essence it stresses the need of concerted efforts from all societal stakeholders to find structural solutions and design a new way of ‘doing business’. A radical transformation needs to take place to influence behaviours but also to change the mind set of society in favour of new global economic model which sees social responsibility as a tool to achieve sustainable development.
At the end we all need to take actions and share commitments as well as responsibility in addressing J.Sachs (2008) concern: ‘the world’s current ecological, demographic and economic trajectory is unsustainable, meaning that if we continue ‘business as usual’ we will hit social and ecological crises with calamitous results’.
In line with these considerations, the course aims at leading the students towards a journey of learning and analysis of the most recent theories, approaches and application of social responsibility and sustainability.
It will use the ISO 26,000 guidelines as a theoretical reference and will analyse each of the principles and components of social responsibility with the most recent theories and with practical support of concrete case studies in Costa Rica as well as abroad.
The course is delivered in 3 weeks.
The first week will focus on understanding “Social Responsibility”, its origin and implications within the Global Business Environment and with respect to the current debate on ‘sustainable growth’. In particular, it will introduce the basic concept of stakeholder management to help identifying and managing the key stakeholders in the context of social responsibility. It will share the criteria for allocating responsibilities of all stakeholders along global supply chains.
The Second week the attention is put on the roles and responsibility of all actors in society with specific attention on the business sector. Theoretical and practical approaches to CSR will be shared with the students in class and during field visits.
Finally the third week will challenge the students with enhancing their critical thinking on reviewing and analyzing current and new economic and business models in order to inspire them with new insights on the building of a more peaceful and sustainable world.
The course will be interactive, built on theories and practical experiences, sharing knowledge and lessons learnt from the field, and learning from guest lectures and host organizations.
|
Mandatory |
Nika Salvetti(Italy)
Former Coordinator of the RMSED Programme at the University for Peace, Costa Rica from 2009 to July 2011. She Owns a Msc in Post-war reconstruction, graduated with distinction in 1999, University of York (UK). Bsc in Economics, graduated Cum Laude, 1992, University La Sapienza of Rome (Italy). Technical Diploma in accounting and foreign Languages, graduated in 1986, (Italy).
She has been working since 18 years in developing countries and war-torn societies in Africa (Uganda and Egypt), Asia (Indonesia), Middle East (Jordan, WBG, Lebanon, Yemen), Central America (Guatemala, Costa Rica) and the Balkans (BiH, Kosovo, Serbia, Macedonia) heading and managing emergency, rehabilitation and development projects for the European Commission (several years), SNV-Dutch Cooperation (1999-2001), CARE Nederland (2001-2008), MOVIMONDO (Consortium of Italian NGOs- 1995-1998). She was also research fellow of the Institute of Nutrition for Central America and Panama (INCAP); University of York (UK) for research projects in Indonesia/Aceh and Lebanon/Beiruth; and of the University of Rome.
|
3 |
3 weeks |
21-Mar-2022 08-Apr-2022 |
8:45 AM-11:45 AM |
Classroom #6 |
|
RMSED 6055 |
Gender, Environment, Development
RMSED 6055 -Gender, Environment, Development 3CreditsMary E. Little is an associate professor of Environmental Ethics at the School for Field Studies in Costa Rica. As a human rights lawyer she has worked to improve gender equality through micro-entrepreneur programs in China and to support survivors of domestic violence in Japan. Her current research focuses on environmental and social justice issues, particularly the roles of regenerative tourism and food security initiatives in protecting the environment while strengthening local communities.
|
Mandatory |
Mary Elizabeth Little(United States)
Mary Elizabeth LittleUnited States
Mary E. Little is an associate professor of Environmental Ethics at the School for Field Studies in Costa Rica. As a human rights lawyer she has worked to improve gender equality through micro-entrepreneur programs in China and to support survivors of domestic violence in Japan. Her current research focuses on environmental and social justice issues, particularly the roles of regenerative tourism and food security initiatives in protecting the environment while strengthening local communities.
|
3 |
3 weeks |
18-Apr-2022 06-May-2022 |
8:45 AM-11:45 AM |
Council Room |
|
UPM-6003 |
The United Nations System and...
UPM-6003-The United Nations System and UPMUNC (Part II)1CreditsThe UPEACE Model United Nations Conference (UPMUNC) is the second part of a composite three-credit course that begins with the two-credit introductory course on the United Nations System, taught in the first semester. Through a simulation of UN bodies, committees, procedures, and codes of conduct, this immersive and experiential educational exercise encourages the application of knowledge gained in previous courses, including an understanding of the objectives and functions of the United Nations system, as well as the development of professional skills related to research, public speaking, negotiation, mediation of conflict, and the preparation of official documents.
Historically, the conference has been open to outside participants from colleges and universities both regionally and internationally, presenting additional possibilities for networking, dialogue, and educational exchange among all participants. UPMUNC is further enriched by special events, which typically include a panel of invited speakers, a diplomatic reception, an awards ceremony, and a closing celebration.
|
Mandatory |
UPEACE Resident Faculty()
|
1 |
3 days |
11-May-2022 13-May-2022 |
- |
|
|
RMSED 6041 |
Social Entrepreneurship
RMSED 6041-Social Entrepreneurship 3CreditsThe worlds of ‘working for the betterment of society’ and ‘private enterprise’ are often seen as incompatible. This course will attempt to breakdown that perception in order for participants to see the social sector as a place of opportunity, both to ‘do good’ but also to innovate and build a financially sustainable social enterprise, whether non-profit, for-profit, or some combination of the two. The course suggests that in order to get a socially beneficial idea off the ground, effectively grow it, and make it financially sustainable, social entrepreneurs need to think creatively beyond models of traditional non-profits or for-profits.
This hands-on and dynamic course will expose participants to a number of cases of social entrepreneurs who have converted their desire of building a better world into a reality. The course will include case studies where participants will experience first-hand a social enterprise. The course hopes to inspire participants with an entrepreneurial spirit, help gain an understanding of the challenges of the start-up process and the complexities of growing and managing it. In order to do so, students will have the opportunity to expand their overall knowledge about a topic they are interested in. Not only the science behind it, but also about the context that sustains its status quo, the efforts being made to solve it, and the possibilities to move forward towards its solution. Students will be given the time, space and structure to learn and to propose a doable solution to it.
|
Mandatory |
Alonso Muñoz(Costa Rica)
Alonso Muñoz is Instructor in the Department of Environment and Development at the University for Peace, where he coordinates the Master of Arts (MA) degree in Responsible Management and Sustainable Economic Development (RMSED). He holds a BSc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Costa Rica and a Msc. in Business Administration. He has worked in the private sector as a consultant and as an entrepreneur, and has volunteered on various national and international projects regarding peace education, migration, environmental impact of systems and Social Enterprises. His most recent work revolves around Circular Economy, a field that he feels passionate about, and for which he has high expectations. He is a novelist, a blogger, a peace advocate, an entrepreneur and passionate about social and environmental development.
|
3 |
3 weeks |
18-May-2022 07-Jun-2022 |
8:45 AM-11:45 AM |
Classroom #6 |
