Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations (CTPSR) Postgraduate Research
Research Coventry
discover more online www.coventry.ac.uk/research
Welcome to the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations Drawing on a strong track record of research in integrated peacebuilding, trust and social and community relations, the centre exemplifies Coventry University’s long-standing commitment to research that makes a strong impact on society and on the security and quality of life of ordinary people worldwide. The Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations (CTPSR) is distinctive both in terms of the research undertaken and the approaches used. It is a truly multi-disciplinary centre; by drawing from academic disciplines, knowledge and skills across the social sciences and beyond, we tackle many of the most critical and sensitive contemporary challenges facing society. Our reputation for working holistically and unfettered by disciplinary boundaries attracts world-leading scholars to visit and establish collaborations. Professor Mike Hardy
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About CTPSR CTPSR undertakes impactful, world-class research that enables dialogue and the building of trust in order to foster peaceful relations, strengthen human security and challenge inequality. We work with decision-makers at all levels: individuals, communities, civil society bodies, private and public sector organisations, as well as international organisations that are anticipating, experiencing or reacting to societal conflict and change. We produce rigorous research and teaching that connects people and ideas, providing new evidence and ways of thinking to better respond to contemporary challenges and their social consequences. Our research crosses disciplinary boundaries and takes a problem-driven approach. We draw on a range of knowledge, skills, connections and a variety of methods to enhance our understanding of critical issues and contexts. We work across countries, regions and sectors, developing integrated approaches and effective, sustainable solutions at local and global level. We employ a range of innovative and participatory research methods alongside established qualitative and quantitative methods, with the objective of real engagement by the researcher with research participants and collaborators. Most of our work involves community members, community-based organisations, governments or the business sector. Our work is underpinned by the highest ethical standards in how we develop our research excellence and our operations, recognise the contributions of others, and work with partners.
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Research themes Communities, politics and identities
Faith and peaceful relations
Communities face a number of emerging challenges, including demographic change, strained social relations and a rebalancing of the relationship between civil society and the state, compounded by constrained public finances. Such challenges are increasingly negotiated within the context of global events and narratives, shifting the boundaries of what we understand as the local and the national.
Faith can be a driver of peace, reconciliation and social justice, yet it can also be a source of violence, exclusion and misunderstanding. Our research explores the positive difference faith and belief can make in today’s world and how conflicts relating to religion can be addressed.
To appreciate how communities deal with such challenges, and indeed opportunities, the communities, politics and identities research group is committed to research rooted in local knowledge and the lived experience of residents. In doing so, it creates an evidence base which assists communities to successfully adapt to change.
Peacebuilding and conflict transformation Peacebuilding combined with conflict transformation is a holistic and multifaceted process that embraces conflict as a potentially constructive force. As such, it aims to reduce violence, and protect and promote social justice, positive social relations and sustainable peace. Building a just peace requires timely interventions designed at all levels of society (individual, collective, institutional), with respect for the wider cultural context of the conflict. In this way, conflict transformation is typically a long-term process. It includes changing attitudes, behaviours, relationships, systems and structures that cause violence; where necessary, it also means intensifying nonviolent resistance. 4
We promote religion and belief literacy in the academic fields from which our work draws, especially politics, international relations, sociology, religious studies and theology. We consider religion and belief deserve more academic attention. Our work includes large-scale international research, tailored evaluations for local organisations, consultancy and delivery of training. We emphasise collaborative and participatory approaches.
Global inequalities and development
Security, vulnerability and resilience
The global inequalities and development research group is a multi-disciplinary and multi-national group of researchers who share a desire to better understand the world in order to achieve progressive social change.
We focus on specific security issues that have a particular transnational and/ or maritime dimension, such as: drugs trafficking, illegal fisheries, humanitarian interventions, criminal networks and organisations, piracy, port security and small island states. The various actors and stakeholders we research include, inter alia: gangs, pirates, private military and security companies, fishing communities, government authorities and peacekeeping forces.
We undertake research in most developing regions of the world and make linkages to issues of poverty, inequality and oppression in the so-called developed world. There is some emphasis on conflict-affected and post-conflict societies, though not exclusively. We examine various structural inequalities, such as those based on gender and class, and on access to health, education and natural resources. We are interested in how people, especially those from oppressed and marginalised groups, organise and mobilise against such inequalities and unjust power relations in their struggles for human rights and democracy. Such interests are reflected in our own research approaches and methods; for instance, an engagement in action research and the co-production of knowledge with research participants, aiming to achieve practical applications of our findings in socially transformative ways.
Our research and case studies are conducted in such countries and areas as: Indonesia, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, South-Africa, Nigeria and the United Kingdom. We conduct our research in cooperation with a number of international organisations, companies, academic institutes and governments, and our funders include UK research councils, the British Academy, North Atlantic Treaty Organization and International Organization for Migration.
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Research environment Based in the UK’s only City of Peace and Reconciliation, the CTPSR is a globally recognised institution, with over 60 full-time researchers and more than 50 PhD students, supported by professional support staff. Most of our staff have worked internationally and many have experience in the field before joining us as academic researchers. Our staff are extremely well-connected and are called upon to share their expertise on the national and international stage, as advisers to governments and international bodies or at conferences worldwide. Members of our centre thrive in our dynamic, vibrant and enabling research environment, which fosters collaboration and peer support networks. Our portfolio of research seeks to change lives and enhance wellbeing. We convene and contribute to public debates, provide effective policy guidance and generate collaborative research through our global networks.
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Our annual RISING Global Peace Forum is an internationally-recognised conference that brings together prominent politicians, policymakers, academics and practitioners to exchange their experiences and to inspire each other in their efforts to build global peace. RISING is an independent three-way partnership between Coventry University, Coventry Cathedral and Coventry City Council, with the remit to provoke and inspire action for positive peace. Previous speakers at RISING events include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Rt Hon Gordon Brown, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Alastair Campbell, Rt Hon Michael Portillo, and former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Postgraduate research: what we offer Postgraduate researchers benefit from the centre’s doctoral training programme and all students receive comprehensive research training, including technical, personal and professional skills. Training in the first year provides the foundations for primary research and field-work to be carried out in the second year, and equips students with the essential skills and understanding of research processes required for successful completion of a PhD. Research students are also supported by Coventry University’s Doctoral College and Centre for Research Capability and Development, which provide high-quality training and career development activities.
to gain hands-on experience of larger research projects. Our PhD tutor holds regular drop-in sessions to offer advice on all issues including career progression.
As members of the CTPSR, research students are integrated in a rich research environment and benefit from development opportunities offered to all our staff and students, including our research seminar series led by CTPSR researchers and visiting scholars. Our vibrant community of postgraduate researchers also come together for induction, summer schools, reading/writing groups and social events.
Our research expertise is organised around the following themes:
Each PhD student is linked to a research group for access to support and mentoring, and is encouraged to become actively engaged in the centre’s research projects, enabling them
CTPSR’s annual Doctoral Summer School provides opportunities for all PhD students to present their research, develop essential communication skills and receive constructive feedback from academic colleagues. The summer school includes a ‘Careers Day’, which covers research careers inside and outside academia. Main areas of supervision
Communities, politics and identity Faith and peaceful relations Global inequalities and development Peacebuilding and conflict transformation Security, vulnerability and resilience
We invite PhD proposals that fit into these broad themes, challenge existing ideas in any of these areas and expand current thinking, offering original insights and approaches by undertaking significant and rigorous research.
I have a very supportive and encouraging supervisory team, who are instrumental in helping me explore and nurture my ideas. I have been strongly encouraged to attend and contribute to national and international conferences. My experiences at CTPSR continue to help me build invaluable personal and professional skills that are bound to contribute to my career progression. Quote from PGR student
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Find us on social media: @CTPSR_Coventry /CTPSR
PGR enquiries E: info.ctpsr@coventry.ac.uk Find us IV5, Innovation Village, Cheetah Road, Coventry, CV1 2TL www.coventry.ac.uk/ctpsr
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