Conflict, Peace and Teaching in Higher Education

Conflict, Peace and Teaching in Higher Education addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing contemporary universities—how to teach and learn in environments increasingly shaped by violence, political unrest, and social movements.

Conflict is an inescapable feature of contemporary life, and university educators are increasingly working in environments where teaching is deeply intertwined with broader societal and global struggles. Many face the direct and indirect effects of violence, displacement, militarisation, surveillance, and censorship. At the same time, as student activism for peace, justice, and social change grows, universities around the world are becoming sites of heightened tension, where academic freedom often collides with state and institutional responses to issues deemed controversial. This book critically examines the role of higher education teaching in both fostering peacebuilding and, at times, contributing to the escalation of conflict. It explores how teaching and learning can help disrupt cycles of violence, address structural injustices, and cultivate sustainable cultures of peace. The volume explores theoretical foundations, regional contexts, pedagogical innovations, and institutional responses that shape the role of higher education in either perpetuating conflict or fostering sustainable peacebuilding across diverse global settings.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue in Teaching in Higher Education.