Courses and workshops are taught in English. 

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The rise of populist nationalism in Europe and in the U.S. underscores the need for a professional who can properly study this developments and fill out a professional vacuum that  international organizations, NGOs, and private capital are now seeking to fulfill.  Growing nationalism  is emerging primarily from large-scale migration,  perceived threats to national identity, dissatisfaction with the workings of political systems, and a changing global environment that hosts the largest number of actors ever in human history. 

Increasing domestic and international conflict has also encouraged nationalism. It is  obvious that there is no linear progression towards peace and that the world today is not more peaceful than a generation ago. Among others, conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, and the Ukraine show that wars and the human suffering associated with them remain a prominent feature of world politics. In addition, recent decades have seen dramatic transformations in the nature of warfare and organized violence. Gone are the “proxy wars” of the Cold War era. Contemporary wars appear to be driven primarily by the same factors: economic greed, domination, appropriation of natural resources, social exclusion, and so forth. Yet clashes of nationality, the formation of collective identities based on ethnicity and religion, the struggle for their recognition, and the insertion/exclusion of nations into the state have become more relevant than ever.

Many commentators invoke “ethnic hatred” as the key explanation for conflicts ranging from Bosnia to Rwanda to the Ukraine. They argue that ethnic and national identities are hard-wired and inevitably lead to conflict. Such an understanding stands in sharp contrast to  theories which treat ethnicity and nationalism as socially constructed, situational, and instrumental to identity projects. Neither of these positions is totally right. The transformation of warfare and organized violence, combined with highly contradictory understandings of the role of ethnicity and nationalism, require a fresh perspective. This Master focuses on the intersection of conflict, conflict management, nationalism, and identity politics. While the twentieth century and the beginning of the twentieth first have demonstrated that nationalism, nationality, and ethnic conflict are a major source of conflict, we also know that nationalism and identity construction have positive effects on communal life, decreasing crime rates and helping institution building. This degree at the University of Salamanca addresses these issues and creates new spaces for the training of new professionals with an expertise in nationalism and conflict management. It builds upon significant advances in the study of violence, terrorism, and conflict.   Students will participate in debates on these issues with practitioners, scholars, and peers.

This specialization is based on interdisciplinary training and offers students the tools that they will need to understand and address complex issues related to nationalism, ethnic conflict and peace processes not only in regions like the Middle East, Easter Europe or Africa but also in the European Union and the Americas.

Students develop an integrated understanding of the global challenges created by nationalism, ethnic conflict, and identity. They study the contemporary international system through coursework across different topics in the fields of Global Studies and International Relations (Peace & Security, Global Economics, History of War and Conflict, International Negotiation, Global Migration, International Organizations, International Law, Global Security, Terrorism, and Conflict Management).  During the last semester students can also choose a practicum/internship project that connects them with the profession of which they want to be a part.

 This concentration creates a professional who can implement the best policy and management responses to these rising challenges. This Master in Nationalism and Conflict Management is unique and stands alone in terms of offering both theoretical tools and practicums. Graduates will become a sought-out workforce by NGOs, governmental organizations, multinationals, and international organizations with peace keeping agendas.

Who can take this Masters?  Persons with backgrounds in the social sciences, humanities, ethnic studies, Law, management, negotiation, business, economics, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and/or other types of advocacies or private employment. Students with fieldwork experience and practitioners will find that this degree provides the needed tools to succeed in an academic career. Students with an academic background will find that this track is ideal to learn from practitioners and acquire experience through the selected practicums, especially those offered under our Global Internship Program.