Trudeau Centre for
Peace, Conflict and Justice At the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy

The Trudeau Centre for Peace, Conflict and Justice administers the Peace, Conflict and Justice program (PCJ) at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy.

The program provides undergraduates with an interdisciplinary education covering three central pillars: the meanings and causes of peace, conflict and justice; the lived experiences of living in the context of conflict and struggles for peace and justice; and approaches to resolving conflict and producing peace and/or justice. The topics of study are wide-ranging, including the study of peacemaking and peace-building, interstate war and intrastate conflicts, insurgencies, revolutions and rebellions, ethnic strife, global justice, and negotiation theory. We address some of the world’s most urgent humanitarian problems, and train students to deeply analyze these issues across several levels of analysis, from the local through the national and the global.

Established as a degree program in 1985 and as a centre in 2001, this multidisciplinary undergraduate program attracts some of the top-achieving students who go on to take positions in prominent international organizations such as the United Nations, work on social justice issues through non-governmental organizations, and pursue graduate degrees in law and social science. The Centre also provides opportunities to conduct original research in the field, engage with some of the world’s top researchers on the causes and resolution of violence and conduct internships at relevant organizations.

Scholars associated with the Centre work within and beyond the traditional purview of international affairs, studying interstate war as well as major conflict inside countries, including revolution, insurgency, ethnic strife, guerrilla war, terrorism, and genocide. They seek to identify the deep causes of this strife—from poverty, resource scarcity, and weapons proliferation to competing claims for justice and failures of foreign-policy decision making.

Students can pursue a major or specialist stream within the program, and all students graduate with an Honours Bachelor of Arts.

The Trudeau Centre for Peace, Conflict and Justice is focused on developing future leaders passionate about addressing challenges related to peace, conflict and justice – some of the most important questions of our time.

The program is interdisciplinary in orientation, seeking to combine the best insights from across disciplines and across the university in building an understanding of the nature and causes of conflicts and injustice in the world – and, most importantly, possible solutions.  The PCJ program includes a rigorous and diverse set of core courses that spans disciplines, and seeks to guide students in assembling an overall program of study that is coherent and focused – but which also speaks to each student’s unique interests, passions and skills.  This includes academic and professional experience outside of the classroom and beyond Canada, as the program has built relationships with local nongovernmental organizations, sponsored field trips in Ontario, sent students abroad for research and “living classroom” activities and partnered with organizations for internship opportunities so that students can immerse themselves in potential careers.

While the PCJ programs is dedicated to a robust and unique academic program, it is equally about building a diverse and engaged community in which students can grow as individuals, as members of a community and as future.  The program seeks to build bonds between students – and between students and faculty – through events outside of the classroom, while pushing students to confront new points of view, new experiences and new ways of engaging with the world.  The student society leads these efforts through retreats, social activities, academic events and an annual student conference on a topic selected by the students themselves.  Much of the best learning in the program comes from building lasting relationships with equally passionate and creative peers, with a shared commitment to addressing challenges of peace, conflict and justice in Canada and around the world.

I am excited to welcome our new students.  I encourage you to challenge yourselves, to take risks and to take advantage of all that the program has to offer.

Paola Salardi

Director, Trudeau Centre for Peace, Conflict and Justice