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Uppsala University in Sweden to host new Rotary Peace Center
By Arnold R. Grahl
The Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees has selected Uppsala
University in Sweden, to host a new Rotary Center for International
Studies in peace and conflict resolution.
"We are excited about this new partnership with Uppsala University
to take the Rotary Peace Centers program to the next level," says
Foundation Trustee Chair Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar. "We are confident
that our Rotary Peace Fellow alumni, actively engaged in
peace-building and conflict prevention and resolution around the
world, will agree that partnering with Uppsala University to host a
Rotary Peace Center is a winning strategy."
In 2009, the Trustees began a search for institutions that met the
Foundation's requirements for a Rotary Peace Center. More than 100
received inquiries, and 5 received site visits between January and
March.
Uppsala University has an established two-year master's program in
peace and conflict studies and a research program led by a large,
internationally recognized faculty. The Uppsala Conflict Data
Program is a leader in the field and will provide future Rotary
Peace Fellows with the opportunity to combine informed theory with
data-driven field research. The university is home to the Dag
Hammarskjöld Library for peace research.
The Trustees also approved an extension to the application deadline
for Rotary Peace Fellowships starting in 2012. Candidates have until
15 August 2011 to apply. The first class of peace fellows at Uppsala
will begin their studies in September 2012.
The Rotary Peace Centers program offers individuals the opportunity
to pursue either a master’s degree or certificate in studies related
to peace and conflict resolution. Up to 110 fellowships are awarded
annually. The existing centers are located at the University of
Bradford, England; University of Queensland, Australia;
International Christian University, Japan; Universidad del Salvador,
Argentina; Duke University and University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, USA; and
Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, which offers a three-month
certificate program.
More than 500 Rotary Peace Centers alumni worldwide are working with
international organizations such as the World Bank, Organization of
American States, and United Nations, as well as with local and
national governments, nongovernmental organizations, and consulting
firms.
The program receives support from donations to the Rotary Peace
Centers Major Gifts Initiative. Paul A. Netzel, chair of the
initiative, says it has obtained US$55.8 million in commitments,
which surpasses the phase 1 goal of $55 million.
“This is an important milestone for the Rotary Peace Centers and
great timing, given the exciting announcement of the new center at
Sweden’s Uppsala University," says Netzel. "Now that we've reached
$55 million, we've set our sights on a goal of $60 million by 30
June. We're well over halfway to our overall goal of $95 million by
2015." |
During
their April meeting, the Trustees agreed to negotiate an agreement
with Uppsala University to house the seventh Rotary Peace Center,
which will join those in Asia, Australia, North America, South
America, and the United Kingdom.