Department of Political Science and the University for Peace, Costa Rica (UPEACE): Partnerships in International Peace Studies

July 02, 2014
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The Department of Political Science’s (DPS) involvement in the United Nations-Mandated University for Peace, Costa Rica (UPeace) and the Ateneo de Manila Dual Campus Masters in International Peace Studies programme dates back to 2006.  Since its operation, the Nippon Foundation has awarded the “Asia Leaders Programme” / “Asia Peace Builders Scholarship Programme”   scholarships to thirty students from the countries of ASEAN, South and East Asia.

 

The dual campus program has evolved from an arrangement where the UPeace was the sole degree conferring institution and the Ateneo, through the DPS faculty  “Asia Focused Courses” in politics and peace studies towards a collaborative partnership in admissions and curriculum development.  Very recently, the dual campus programme has included the Ateneo as degree conferring institution, in which more specifically, the DPS will award an  MA PoS-Global Politics (non thesis) degree to qualified scholars. 

 

Students of the seventh and eighth cohorts of Asia Peace Builders Scholarship (APS) Programme are working towards two degrees, one in a specific  field of peace studies under UPeace's eight masters programs  and another in Political Science with specialisation in Global Politics, under DPS of the Ateneo.

 
Partners for Peace. UPeace 8 students and Ateneo Department of Political Science faculty during the APS8 Cultural Night with H.E. Malayvieng Sakonhninhom, Lao PDR Ambassador to the Philippines and Fr. Jose M. Cruz, SJ, Vice-President for University and Global Relations, Ateneo de Manila University.    

 

Upon completion of their coursework and project requirements, students of the seventh cohort are expected to graduate with a masters degree in PoS-GP in November of this year.  

 

UPeace and DPS’ respective masters curricula provide for the characteristic sharing and cross validating of credits.   Four courses or twelve credits taken at Upeace are validated by DPS while three courses or nine credits  taken in Ateneo are validated by UPeace’s three departments.  APS students take a total of 24 units of core and MA Specialization courses offered by DPS and 31 units from each of the eight masters programs of UPeace. 

 

A Memorandum of Agreement has been written up and will be signed by the authorised representatives of the  two partner institutions very soon.