About us

The Department of Conflict and Development Studies is a part of the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences. Its teaching and research concentrates primarily on contemporary political and development issues in the global South, and on sustainable development in North and South.

Since a few years the department has been focussing on conflict analysis, conflict management and post-conflict reconstruction, particularly in relation to internal conflicts in the global periphery since the end of the Cold War. Department staff try to analyse these conflicts – and their dynamics and structure – from a multidisciplinary perspective, but always based on in-depth field experience.

On the other hand the department explores the multiple instruments of conflict management and resolution, with global sustainable development an important part of the final solution for conflicts. To achieve this, both area and theme based research cells have been founded, with links to departments of other Faculties within the university and with research institutes in Belgium and beyond.

Our research and teaching engages with Sub-Sahara Africa, the Middle East, North Africa, Latin America and Asia.

The Department also organises scientific congresses and seminars and helps to maintain the faculty library on the abovementioned regions and themes.