Peace and Development Programme

Amanda used to work as a music teacher but knew that she wanted to make a career change to the humanitarian field. She got interested in the Peace and Development programme since it’s one of few that combines both peace and development.

“I want to serve other people in my work, and I think that doing so is especially important in the post-conflict stage when peace is fragile and there is much rebuilding to be done. The language of tuition is English, which makes the student composition more diverse and international. What is more, there is space to spend some time studying abroad or doing an internship – this component was especially interesting to me. The degree gives you the opportunity to work in Sweden or anywhere around the world”.

The programme is broad and covers various topics

“In the first year alone we covered topics like development, governance, conflict analysis, gender, global political economy, sustainable development, and more. The assignments have also allowed for flexibility and opportunity to be creative – we usually get to choose what regions or topics we focus on within the assignment guidelines, as well as how to approach the assignment”.

According to Amanda, all this has allowed her to gain a deeper understanding of what she finds most interesting, which challenges her academically.

A calm life in the greenest city in Europe

Amanda’s favourite things about living in Växjö is the slow pace, the nature, and the size of the city.

“Nothing really happens in a hurry here, so it is easy to feel at rest. There are great places to hike and walk everywhere. The size of the city makes it easy to get around by bike or bus and I often run into my friends in the city centre. This all makes Växjö a cosy place”.

As a student you can also engage in different organisations. This gives you a chance to meet new people and learn new skills.

“Personally, I’m involved as president of Afrikagrupperna Växjö, a solidarity group working with local organisations in five countries in southern African. Being involved with Afrikagrupperna has given me multiple valuable experiences – from participating in and speaking at a strike to coordinating guest lecturers.

Amanda has not decided what she will do after she graduates and tries to keep an open mind.

“I am torn between continuing my education on a master’s programme and working in Africa or the Middle East. I want to stay openminded to any opportunities that might turn up along the way. My core interests are migration, crisis ans disaster management, conflict studies, and social justice.

Lovisa chose to study at Linnaeus University because of the multiple options of interesting courses within the Peace and Development programme, as well as the opportunities of an exchange semester or internship within the bachelor’s degree.  

- I became interested in the Peace and Development Programme due to its wide focus within this area of studies and the emphasised understanding of the connection between peace and development issues. The opportunity to study a programme taught in English with students and teachers from different parts of the world has lead to interesting linguistic and cultural exchanges. This has in turn increased my interest in the field and aspiration to work in an international context.

The programme is for those who have an interest in how different issues regarding peace and development are connected.

- If you have an interest in issues related to the most vulnerable people on the planet and want to understand the connections and interrelation of poverty, conflict, climate change, inequality, economics, and politics, then I recommend that you study the Peace and Development Programme. It gives a broad and fundamental understanding of how these issues relate to each other, theoretically and practically, and examines and challenges the historical and contemporary debates, dilemmas, and approaches in the field. The programme has really given me in-depth knowledge and a fundamental understanding of the interrelation and complexity of these issues.

The biggest challenge for Lovisa during her studies was to always be one step ahead in terms of the choice of courses and applications for exchange studies and internships.

- It required planning, researching, and meetings with different departments outside the programme and the full-time courses. However, it has improved my ability to multitask, structure long-term plans, and utilise my time wisely.

 Life after graduation

After graduation Lovisa got an internship in Kenya. She works for a local partner for the NGO PMU Interlife. Lovisa is also applying to different masters, both in Sweden and other countries in Europe. She aims to study a master in either humanitarian relief, peacebuilding, or human rights.

 - During my internship I get to be a part of the work the organisation is conducting and learn more about development, peacebuilding, resilience, and humanitarian relief from a local perspective. It is a great way to get more practical and hands-on experience in the field before attending a master and proceeding with a career in the sector.

“On the programme, we had quite a few assignments for which we had to enter society, interview organisations, and support organisations in their communication work. We also spent one month in India during our specialisation in peace and development studies”, Safi explains.

Today, Safi lives in Brussels, Belgium and works with education and lobbying.

“I work for the European network Eurodesk that gathers organisations that work with informing young people about what possibilities they have to discover the world through studies, voluntary work, internships, and work abroad”, Safi continues.

Her work is about helping and supporting young people on their personal and professional development journey, which Safi thinks is important.

“The most exciting thing about my work is that we work internationally and with a field that is positive and always relevant. We work with different social groups and focus on inclusion of those who, for different reasons, cannot take part in international exchanges as easily”, says Safi.

In her role as Policy and Training Officer at Eurodesk, she works closely with network members around Europe, to gain an understanding of their everyday lives and makes sure that they have the skills they need to be able to inform young people in a simple and engaging way. Her education comes in handy here.

“My work involves, among other things, giving lectures on communication measures for active professionals. It is fantastic to see the impact we make on their communication work and the response they get from their target groups”, Safi continues.

At the same time, she also works with lobbying towards the European Commission and the European Parliament.

“We gather feedback from our members and inform the commission and parliament about how policies and programmes can be improved for young people. We are there and make a difference concerning how young people and organisations have access to programmes like Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps”, Safi explains.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, during which many of the youth exchanges and learning abroad have been paused, Safi has a positive view of the future.

“During the last few years, we have worked to make young people become engaged digitally, to create online spaces for exploring Europe, to train them while also preparing them for how they can get the opportunity to go abroad and discover the world, what programmes and scholarships are available when Europe opens up again”, Safi concludes.

What tips would you give to students who are about to enter working life?
Have the courage to take on opportunities that can help you develop as a person! Get engaged in a student association, get a job on the side of your studies, start a business – practice the skills that you may need in your professional life. You have an exciting path ahead of you once you have graduate and start looking for a job. Good luck!

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*Safi studied the Public Relations and Communication Programme with Specialisation in Peace Studies & Development Work. This programme is no longer offered at Linnaeus University but if you are interested in the same issues with which Safi works, we now offer the Peace and Development Programme.

What can I expect as a student?

During your time as a student on the programme, you will learn how to do conflict analysis, develop strategy plans for negotiating and building sustainable peace, compare development strategies, evaluate poverty reduction programmes, and study violence prevention strategies. You will do this in teams as well as individually through several different methodologies. As you are exposed to a variety of different issues within our field, you will be able to find and develop your specific interests that will prepare the path for your future work.

All courses are practice-oriented, which means that we work with problem-solving and actual case studies of ongoing conflicts and situations of human insecurity. Through guest lectures with professionals from the field and problem-oriented learning, the programme provides you with continuous contact with the professional world. The objective is to provide you with the opportunity to explore the many options for your future work as well as to create your own network. Each student's personal interests guide this process.