Summer Peace and Conflict Course Kosovo

Welcome to the Summer Program in Kosovo

18 June - 28 July The RIT Kosovo™ (A.U.K) Peace and Conflict Program enables participants to work with academic specialists and distinguished practitioners from the fields of military, diplomatic, human rights and humanitarian affairs with extensive experience in the Balkans and globally. Practice global learning with new friends from around the world. Explore conflict transformation with practitioners and academics in classrooms, workshops, study-travel, and meetings with senior officials in the Balkans. Do this and more at the Post-Conflict Transformation summer program at the RIT/A.U.K. Our five-week package consists of two courses (three credit hours, offered by A.U.K’s partner university, Rochester Institute of Technology) and one of two study tours: Montenegro, Bosnia, and Serbia or Albania, Greece and Macedonia. Courses are for undergraduates, graduates and professionals in relevant fields The program offers courses in:

• The Origins and Resolution of Violent Conflicts
• Conflict Resolution and Transformation
• The Economics of Post-Conflict Transformation
• Human Rights and Mediation in Conflict Regions
• Political Violence, Extremism, and Terrorism
• Documentary

This unique program combines the experience and talents of academics and practitioners and provides a practical, hands-on perspective on global conflicts, which takes advantage of our proximity to the recent wars in the Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and elsewhere in Eurasia. Students and professionals are invited to participate in this well-established and memorable experience:

• Balkan Study Tour that enables participants to meet with policymakers and activists
• Study abroad for six weeks with renowned experts
• A blend of theoretical knowledge, with practical experience, skill-building
• Expand cultural and social horizons
• Tour historic, cultural, and politically significant sites in the scenic Balkans and Kosovo
• Meet with senior officials among governments and civil society activists in the region
• Develop new and lasting friendships with people from over 45 countries
• Optional Internships available for interested students

Share experiences with one another, and much more, at the RIT-K Peace and Conflict Program.

• Five weeks
• Four courses
• Three countries
• Two great universities, RIT and A.U.K
• One unforgettable experience the A.U.K Summer Program

RIT/A.U.K’s summer program courses highlight different dimensions of conflict transformation and development.

POLS 205: Ethics and International Politics This course addresses the role of ethics in international politics and covers themes, such as: humanitarian intervention, just war, human rights, mediation and the ethical role of international organizations and non-state actors. Special attention will be given to thinkers who discuss the promise and limits of ethics in international politics and who give an account of the force of international law in establishing ethical norms throughout international political history. It will include observation of traditional forms of mediation in Kosovo, and feature a practical introduction to mediation.

ECON-448 Development Economics The course deals with the economic and social development in post-conflict societies with a special focus on the Balkans. It will focus on the problems and challenges typically faced in developing and post-conflict countries, by exploring specific issues associated with economic development at the end of wars, historical causes of development gap between developed and underdeveloped countries, and the theories and the policies aimed at accelerating the rate of growth in LDCs. It also addresses the role of international organizations in the economic development of LDCs and post-conflict societies. It will survey the extensive literature and experience on modeling economic growth through relevant case studies from developing and post-conflict countries.

POLS 525: Special Topics in Political Science: War, Diplomacy and Conflict Transformation This course will provide a balanced and unbiased exploration of the disintegration of Socialist Yugoslavia, efforts to resolve conflicts over the nationalities issue, the ethnic conflicts that followed, and international peacekeeping efforts in the region. It will address the conflicts in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, and Kosovo; international peace-keeping efforts in Croatia and Bosnia, the Dayton peace accords, and the war in Kosovo. It will then turn to subsequent efforts to build sustainable institutions in Kosovo and other governments in the Balkans. It will consider the role of domestic and international actors, such as NATO, the US Government, the UN, OSCE and others. Students will have an opportunity to participate in role-playing exercises during the course.

POLS 525: Special Topics in Political Science: Peacekeeping and Conflict Transformation The goal of this course is to prepare students who may pursue work in the field of stabilization, reconstruction and for the complexities of the transition from war to peace where the political, security, rule of law and economic elements are complex and interdependent. Each week of the course will tackle these cross-cutting themes through the lens of Kosovo from 1999 – 2008. Using examples drawn from their work in KFOR, UNMIK, CivPol, local civil society and local business the instructors and speakers will focus on practical skills, strategies and frameworks that can be applied to other conflicts and other missions. The course will be team-taught by a group of three experts, and will be augmented by outside speakers drawn from the Kosovo community and other outside experts with experience working in Kosovo.

CIAS-ITDI-310: Documentary Projects in Kosovo This interdisciplinary class will take students on an image making journey through the Balkan states. Students will work to research and develop projects in Kosovo and the surrounding region that explore the political and social realities of this emerging country and its neighbors, through the stories of the people who live there. The Rochester based students will collaborate with the faculty and students from the American University in Kosovo (R.I.T./A.U.K), as well as other local organizations to develop visual communications projects that include video, audio and still photography. Students will work with non-governmental organizations and news agencies in Kosovo, such as the Balkan Insight Reporting Network, a highly respected and independent media group. In addition to the five courses that the summer program offers, an Albanian Language intensive course will be offered to students who would like to enrich their language skills. The course will take place at the A.U.K campus every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with an additional fee of 100 EUR for four weeks. The Albanian language course will be taught by a native speaker through the A.U.K Training and Development Institute.