Program Details

Master's Program
Doctoral Program

Master's Program

Features

Goals

The curriculum of the MA program is structured to allow students to be exposed to a wide range of issues and approaches in understanding peace and conflict in the contemporary world through a framework Area Studies. In addition to gaining specific knowledge and understanding of topics within the field, in keeping with the belief that each conflict is unique, the Program also stresses the in-depth and comparative study of various cases of conflict, including field research in pre-conflict, conflict, and post-conflict settings.

Students are expected to gain the ability to analyze conflict situations from a variety of perspectives, and expand their capacity to initiate and execute research critical to understanding and ameliorating such situations, and to work in the field as professionals planning, implementing, and evaluating peace-building, conflict resolution, conflict prevention, and related projects. Furthermore, the active nature of student participation expected in courses and in the program overall, for example through frequent student presentations, should prepare students for positions in education, whether at the community level in conflict areas, or at the tertiary level in their home countries.

The PCS Faculty aims to offer a diverse and engaging set of courses each term, based on their particular expertise and interests, and on the most relevant and current issues. Several Visiting Professors and Lecturers are also retained each term to broaden the course offerings, and also to allow students the opportunity to have contact with and learn from professionals active in peace-building, conflict resolution, and other areas of practice. Outside experts are also often invited for short seminars, talks, or conferences for these purposes.

Through contact with faculty, outside researchers and professionals, and other students, the students should be able to establish an international network of profession contacts for their future research and employment. Moreover, we expect that, given the small size and international nature of each entering class (approximately 10-12 students each year), as well as the fact that many of them come from conflict-affected countries, students will be able to gain valuable experience in cross-cultural contact and understanding, and in working collaboratively. Of course, studying in Japan in itself should hopefully provide students with such experience.

Program Outline

Study Period: 2 years

Commencing: Fall (no spring admission)

Language of Instruction: English

Graduation Requirements: 30 course units and an MA thesis (written in English)

Degree awarded: Master of Arts (International Studies

Intake: 12

Full-time Professors

Prof. Yasuyuki MATSUNAGA

Research keywords: Religion and Politics, Democratization, Comparative Political Regimes, Political Change, Contentious Politics, Conflict

https://www.tufs.ac.jp/research/researcher/people/english/matsunaga_yasuyuki.html

Prof. Hideaki SHINODA

Research Keywords: International Order, Conflict Resolution, Peacebuilding

https://www.tufs.ac.jp/research/researcher/people/english/shinoda_hideaki.html

Prof. Tomonori YOSHIZAKI

Research keywords: Strategic Studies, War and Peace, Peacebuilding, Security Studies, NATO, EU

https://www.tufs.ac.jp/research/researcher/people/yoshizaki_tomonori.html

Curriculum

As of 2024-2025 academic year

Core Seminar	Core Seminar Theory and Practice of Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding	SHINODA Hideaki	Fall
Global Studies	Global Studies International Order and Alliances	YOSHIZAKI Tomonori	Fall
PCS Research Methodology	PCS Research Methodology PCS Research Methodology	MATSUNAGA Yasuyuki	Fall
Foundation for Peacebuilding	Foundation for Peacebuilding 1 Theory and Practice of Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding	SHINODA Hideaki	Spring
Foundation for Peacebuilding	Foundation for Peacebuilding 1 The Politics of Difference and Inequality	HAZAMA Yasushi	Fall
Applied Peacebuilding	Applied Peacebuilding 1 Peace Building and Psychosocial Work	Appuhamilage Udeni	Fall
	Applied Peacebuilding 2 Foundation of Human violence and Group Conflict	Appuhamilage Udeni	Spring online
	Applied Peacebuilding 3 Gender and Peace	AKIBAYASHI Kozue	Winter intensive
	Applied Peacebuilding 1 Peace and Conflict in the Indo-Pacific (Part-1)	YOSHIZAKI Tomonori	Fall
	Applied Peacebuilding 1 Applied Peacebuilding	UESUGI Yuji	Spring
Conflict and Social Change	Conflict and Social Change 2 Theories of International Relations	DARWISHEH Housam	Spring online
	Conflict and Social Change 2 Advanced Seminar on Conflict and Contentious Politics	MATSUNAGA Yasuyuki	Spring
	Conflict and Social Change 1 Conflict and Social Change	KARUSIGARIRA Ian	Fall
International Relations and Cooperation	International Relations and Cooperation 1 Conflict Settlement in the Changing World	NAKAYA Sumiye	Fall
	International Relations and Cooperation 1 Peace and Conflict in the Indo-Pacific (Part-2)	YOSHIZAKI Tomonori	Spring
	International Relations and Cooperation 3 International Relations: Religion, Identity and Nationalism	SHANI Giorgiandrea	Spring online

Syllabus search

MAThesis

MA Student Thesis

2021 MA Thesis title

Strategy of regional Institution in Southeast Asia on Radicalized Intraregional Borders

The Debated as to Whether International Aid is Sincere as the Word "Aid" implies, or is it Another Form of Imperialism?

A Long histor of Non-Violent Tradition: A Thematic Analysis of Interviews with Okinawa's Anti-Base Activist Community

Dropping the Bomb: Air Power & War Termination

2020 MA Thesis title

An Examination of Political Aspects of Land Reform, Conflicts and Marginalization in Rural Agriculture in Zimbabwe

American Institutions and the Perpetuation of Violenve in Modern Times

Children in Warfare: Violation of International Law

2019 MA thesis title

Transitional Justice Mechanisms: An Examination of the Impacts of Restorative Justice System on Peacebuilding in Timor-Leste

Arctic securitization in the aftermath of the Ukrainian crisis

Without Demarcation: The Dynamic of Sino-Indian Border Dispute

Engligthening Movement from Mobilization to Demobilization: Dynamics of Contentious Politics in Afghanistan

Examing the Natural Resource Abundance Conundrum and Emerging Community Development Agreement (CDA) in Post War Sierra Leone. Case Study of Sierra Rutile Community Development Intervention

Internal and external determinants of the Russian territorial dispute policy

2018 MA thesis title

From Reunification to Mobilization: A Case Study on Localism and Identity Politics in Hong Kong Since 1997

The Role of Dams in Identity and Hydro Politics:

A Constructivist Analysis on Water Disputes Between Egypt and Ethiopia

Muslim Mindanao and Marcos��s regime: A Center-Periphery Approach

A HISTORICAL LEGAL ANALYSIS OF JAPANESE NATIONALISM THROUGH THE MEIJI CONSTITUTION,
ITS DEBATES AND POLICY MAKING

Rehabilitation and Reintegration Process of Ex-LTTE Combatants in Sri Lanka

The Dilemma of Quebec Sovereignty Movement:To Seek or Not To Seek Independence

2017 MA thesis title

The Emergence of Gang Related Youth Violence in Post War Sierra Leone: An Exploration of Youth Violence in Freetown

The Aftermath of a Protest Movement: The Gezi Park Protests and Post-Protest Political Organization in Turkey

The 2013-14 Euromaidan Revolution in Ukraine and the 2011-12 Democracy Movement in Russia: A Comparative Analysis of Domestic Factors

Political Communication During The Syrian Crisis: A Comparative Analysis of Television Channels on the Domestic Level Between 2010-2016

The Ebola Lens of Teenage Pregnancy in Sierra Leone: Exploration of key Public Health Measures

Assessing the Root Causes of Protracted Conflict in South Sudan, beyond Ethnicity

Returned foreign fightes of Russian origin: Empiriral analysis on the threat of returnees on Russian security

2016 MA thesis title

Jemaat Ahmadiyah Indonesia in Persistence: Strategy of Negotiation on Struggling Authority to Manifest Religious Freedom in Indonesia

Ecuador's Response to the Refugree Crisis, with Special Reference to its Legal Measures (1992-2012)

Security Sector Report in Post-war Sierra Leone - A Case Study of Police Reform and the Rise of Corruption

Contentious Politics in Senegal: The Social Analytical Reading of the Protests of 2011

Intergroup Intolerance and Social Construction of Threat: An Analysis of Buddhist-Muslim Relations in Sri Lanka (2009-2015)

An Examination of Aid Policies Based on Misperceptions of Conflict Causes in Sudan

2015 MA thesis titles

Varieties of Kashmiri Public Narratives And Their Recent Relational Development within the Kashmir Valley

Examing the Politics of Post-Genocide Rwanda: Legitimacy, Institutionalization and the Genocide Ideology

What Makes Primordial Setiments Significant in The Protraction of Violent Ethnic Conflict: The Case of the Mamprusi-Kusasi Conflict in Bawku, Ghana

Legitimacy and the Case of Hong Kong

2014 MA thesis titles

Mechanisms and Repertoires used in the Intifadas of year 2008 and year 2010 in Jammu and Kashmir

The Malleability of the US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement with Consideration to Okinawa

2013 MA thesis titles

A Relational Approcah to Palestinian Intifadas: "Violence" and "Nonviolence" in Contentious Actions

Regionalization and Conflict Transformation - The Republic of Moldova and Transnistria

How does Authoritarian Regimes under International Economic pressures accommodates the domestic discontent? The case of Iraq under the UN Economic Sanctions (1990-2003) by analyzing the articles of Iraqi Newspapers and Cultural activities

The Participation of the Indonesian Military in the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations and the Indonesian Military Reform

Chad, Protracted Military - Political Instability and The Dilemma of Darfuri Refugee Security

The Case of the "20th February Movement": Contentious Politics in Morocco

The Relational Dynamics of Otpor and Milosevic 1991-2000: The Importance of Relational Shifts

2012 MA thesis titles

The Transformation of the Gypsy Identity in Kosovo

From Sickles to Guns: Women's Involvement in the Maoist Unsurgency in Nepal

Democritization and Contentious Politics in Africa: The Case of Mozambique

The Kurdish Question in Turkey under the AKP's Government

Security Alliances as a Means to Resolve Territorial Disputes: The Case of Takeshima/Dokdo

2011 MA thesis titles

Building Unity in a Divided Society The Role of History Educ ation in Post-Genocide Rwanda

Georgian IDPs��The Identity Question and The Issue of Integration

MACEDONIAN ONTOLOGICAL INSECURITY AND THE CHALLENGES OF STABILIZING INTER-ETHNIC RELATIONS

The Prospect of the Application of Federalism in Post 2003 IRAQ

UNITARY SYSTEM TO FEDERAL SYSTEM��THE POST MONARCHIAL SCENAR IO IN NEPAL

MUSIC AND RECONCILIATION IN COLOMBIA��OPPORTUNITIES AND LIMI TATIONS OF SONGS COMPOSED BY VICTIMS AND EX-COMBATANTS

The Political Consequences of the Afghan Electoral System :Voting for an Individual in a Multi-Member District.

Durability of Peace Agreement in Maintaining Peace��A Study on the Implementation of Memorandum of Understanding in Aceh,Indonesia.

Post-revolutionary transformation in Iranian women's movement

Doctoral Program

Features

Doctoral Degree Program Details

The Doctoral Program in the field of Peace and Conflict Studies is not an independent program.��It is situated under the Doctoral Program in Global Studies of TUFS.

As it is not a curriculum-based program, students shall pursue their research under close supervision of their supervisors. Students shall receive research guidance from the main academic supervisor and research supervisors designated by the Graduate school based on the student��s research topic. The students are required to take up to 12 credits during the years of enrollment, acquire research guidance according to the stages of research, attend and present at academic conferences, and have their papers published in the academic journals to culminate with a doctoral dissertation.

Due to the independency of the program, doctoral students shall have a firm background on the topic they are researching. Keeping close contact with the supervisors is another important factor in succeeding in our doctoral program.

Degree Awarded: Doctor in Philosophy