CONMAT (Strengthening Conflict Management and Transformation Studies in Africa)

CONMAT (Strengthening Conflict Management and Transformation Studies in Africa).

Campus Vienna University of Applied Sciences is coordinating the Erasmus+ project CONMAT (Strengthening Conflict Management and Transformation Studies in Africa). Together with universities in Ghana, Rwanda, and Spain, new teaching and learning concepts for conflict management and peace education will be developed by the end of 2027. The project is funded by the European Union's Erasmus+ program and aims to strengthen higher education in Ghana and Rwanda in the long term. At the same time, it seeks to intensify academic exchange between European and African universities. CONMAT is an Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education project (2025–2027) that aims to strengthen teaching and research capacities in conflict management and transformation studies at selected African universities in Ghana and Rwanda, in cooperation with European partners in Austria and Spain. The main purpose of CONMAT (“Strengthening Conflict Management and Transformation Studies in Africa”) is to enhance the institutional and pedagogical capacity of African partner universities to teach, research, and train practitioners in conflict management and transformation. It focuses on equipping both staff and students with analytical tools, critical reflection skills, and practical methodologies for understanding conflict dynamics and designing sustainable peacebuilding strategies in African contexts. More concretely, CONMAT seeks to: - Strengthen existing curricula in conflict management/peace studies at the partner institutions, aligning them with contemporary scholarship and regional needs - Provide structured training for academic staff (train‑the‑trainer) to improve teaching methods, including online and practice-oriented pedagogy in conflict studies. - Foster critical, cross-cultural, and gender-sensitive perspectives on conflict and peace processes in Africa. 1. Vienna is home to renowned universities and research centers specializing in peace and conflict studies, such as the University of Vienna and the Vienna School of International Studies. These offer advanced degree programs in conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and international relations. 2. Vienna is a diplomatic center and the headquarters of numerous international organizations, including the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and other institutions concerned with conflict prevention and resolution in Africa and worldwide. 3. These programs often integrate political science, international law, anthropology, and security studies, providing comprehensive insights into the causes, dynamics, and solutions to African conflicts. 4. Global and regional focus: Academic programs and research centers in Vienna emphasize understanding regional conflicts in Africa, such as civil wars, political instability, resource conflicts, and ethnic tensions. They empower students and researchers to develop effective management strategies. 5. A conflict management degree in Vienna can make a significant contribution. Capacity building in African countries through the training of local and international experts, policymakers, and mediators. 6. Vienna's international environment fosters collaboration between academics, diplomats, NGOs, and African representatives and supports innovative approaches to conflict resolution. The project links four African universities with two European institutions. African partners (Ghana and Rwanda): - Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS), Ghana. - University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), Ghana. - Protestant University of Rwanda (PUR), Rwanda. - University of Rwanda. European partners: - University of Applied Sciences FH Campus Wien, Austria (coordinating role). - Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.[1][2][5] The cooperation is framed as North–South and South–South academic collaboration, with activities rotating between Ghana, Rwanda, Austria, and Spain. CONMAT is co‑funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education scheme.[2][5][7] The project runs from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2027, giving a three‑year window for curriculum reform, staff development, joint teaching, and dissemination. Within Erasmus+ CBHE logic, the project is designed as a capacity-building intervention in higher education systems in partner countries, addressing both institutional teaching capacity and the broader policy need for conflict management expertise. CONMAT combines curricular development, digital learning, and field-based training. Major activities include: - Curriculum development and internationalisation: updating and expanding conflict management/peace studies modules, integrating international literature and comparative perspectives, and embedding them into degree programmes at the African partner universities. - Joint digital and multimedia courses: delivery of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) courses on conflict studies to mixed cohorts across the partner institutions, with emphasis on participatory video techniques as a learning and research tool. - International field schools: intensive field schools such as the 2026 Wa (Ghana) field school hosted by UBIDS, which combined theoretical sessions with practical exercises for staff and students on conflict analysis, teaching methodologies, and peacebuilding.[3] The pedagogical approach includes: - Train‑the‑trainer tracks for higher education staff focusing on teaching conflict studies, online pedagogy, and case-based learning. - Student tracks that focus on conflict analysis, conflict resolution and transformation, and peacebuilding methodologies, with attention to everyday political negotiation and urban violence. The project’s teaching and training content covers a wide range of conflict and peace topics relevant to African political contexts. The project also stresses cross-cultural, intercultural, and gender-specific perspectives, acknowledging that conflict experiences and participation are structured by gender and cultural identities in African societies. According to Campus Wien University, students and faculty will be better prepared in the future to analyze conflicts, guide transformation processes, and develop sustainable solutions. Project leader Johannes Maerk emphasizes that universities can combine academic knowledge with social responsibility and thus make an important contribution to peace education.