University for Peace

The main campus of the University for Peace hosts the International Secretariat of the Earth Charter Initiative, whose stated mission is "to promote the transition to sustainable ways of living and a global society founded on a shared ethical framework that includes respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity, universal human rights, respect for diversity, economic justice, democracy, and a culture of peace." This mission is carried out using the Earth Charter as the principal guiding framework.

In 2012, the Earth Charter Initiative and the University for Peace were jointly awarded the UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development and the Earth Charter.[13] The work related to this UNESCO chair is carried out at the 'Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development',[14] which opened at the UPEACE main campus in 2014.[15]

Peace Park at the University for Peace

The campus is surrounded by a natural reserve (Peace Park) composed of a secondary forest and the last remnant of primary forest (200 ha) in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. Hence, this protected area is very rich in fauna. It shelters mammals such as monkeys and deer; reptiles; and over 300 species of birds, as well as approximately 100 varieties of trees. The university's installations and protected area make up 303 ha. The park contains several hiking trails and monuments to peacebuilders.[16]

The University for Peace established its Africa program in 2002. The programme aims to stimulate and strengthen the capacities in Africa to teach, train and conduct research in areas of peace and conflict studies.

The first five years of the program focused on the development of curricula and teaching materials and the delivery of a range of short courses, workshops, conferences and seminars in various parts of Africa. Within this period, the program attracted close to one thousand participants from academia, policy-makers and civil society organizations.

Since 2007, the Africa programme has worked with a number of partner universities to develop master's degree programs to be based at African universities. The principal aim of this endeavour is to further strengthen the African capacity and build a wide expertise for a better understanding of conflicts in Africa, their prevention and the creation of the environment favourable to lasting peace and development in the region.

In January 2012, UPEACE opened a centre in The Hague, Netherlands, which is housed at the Academy Building of the Peace Palace, next to the Hague Academy of International Law. UPEACE The Hague focuses on education and research in peace studies, cooperating with academic and policy-oriented institutions in The Hague region. UPEACE The Hague is active in three fields: peace and conflict studies, water and peace, and urban peace and security. In addition, the centre organises professional trainings, lectures, seminars, and workshops on theory, practice and policy.

The Geneva Office of the University for Peace was established in 2001. The focus of the Geneva office is to contribute to the development of programmatic activities of the university in Africa and the Middle East, engaging with the academic community in Geneva, and facilitation of institutional relations within Europe and with the United Nations system.

In November 2015, University for Peace started its work in Rome under the name "Università Internazionale per la Pace" (UniPace).

The University for Peace jointly organises the Asian Peacebuilders Scholarship Programme (APS) with the Nippon Foundation and Ateneo de Manila University. APS students obtain a Master of Arts Degree from the University for Peace and a master's degree in Transdisciplinary Social Development from Ateneo de Manila University.[17][18]

The University for Peace has signed agreements with the governments of Serbia (formerly Yugoslavia), Colombia and Uruguay to open centres in those three countries. These centres have the necessary legal status to enjoy autonomy and academic freedom while keeping their humanistic purpose within the framework of both the Charter of the University for Peace and the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The European Centre for Peace and Development (ECPD) in Belgrade, Serbia; the World Centre for Training and Research in Conflict Resolution (WCCR) in Bogotá, Colombia; and the World Centre for Research for Peace (CMIP) in Montevideo, Uruguay, have developed close links with their respective governments while being key UPEACE partners in areas of common interest. UPEACE keeps operational agreements with them and lends its logos when necessary to undertake joint activities within the framework of UPEACE's and the Centers’ mission. These activities, as with other partners, involve the cooperating parties working together at all stages of jointly agreed-upon projects.

• MA in International Law and the Settlement of Disputes
• MA in International Law and Human Rights
• MA in International Law and Diplomacy
• Maestría en Derecho Internacional de los Derechos Humanos (taught in Spanish)

• MA in Gender and Peacebuilding
• MA in Indigenous Science and Peace Studies
• MA in International Peace Studies
• MA in Media and Peace
• MA in Peace Education
• MA in Religion, Culture and Peace Studies
• MA in Sustainable Peace in the Contemporary World (online)
• Maestría en Resolución de Conflictos, Paz y Desarrollo (taught in Spanish)

• MA in Environment, Development and Peace
• MA in Responsible Management and Sustainable Economic Development
• MSc in Ecology and Society

• Dual MA in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development (with American University, Washington DC, USA)[19]
• Water Cooperation and Diplomacy (with IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, The Netherlands and Oregon State University, USA)
• Dual degree in Environmental Law (LLM, Pace University) and International Law and Human Rights
• MA in Development Studies and Diplomacy (with UNITAR)
• Asian Peacebuilders Scholarship, a dual-campus MA in Transdisciplinary Social Development (with Ateneo de Manila University, The Philippines)
• Joint MA degree in Human Rights and a Culture for Peace (with Pontifical Xavierian University, Colombia)
• LL.M in Transnational Crime and Justice (with United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, Turin, Italy)
• Dual MA in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence (Brandeis University, US) and International Law and Human Rights
• Dual MA in International Law and Human Rights (with Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul, Korea)
• Dual MA in Media, Peace and Conflict Studies (with Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul, Korea)
• Dual MA in Sustainable Development (with Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul, Korea)

UPEACE offers graduate and advance undergraduate students from other institutions the opportunity to enroll in UPEACE's Study Abroad Program (SAP) in two ways:

• Semester Abroad Program
• Undergraduate Credit Building

The university also carries out hands-on training beyond its master's and doctoral programmes aimed at practitioners and policymakers through the Centre for Executive Education. The university also offers distance education, including an online master's programme from the main campus.

The University for Peace has a doctoral programme in peace and conflict studies since 2012. The programme offers a research track and a professional track.[20]

The Charter of the University for Peace gives the authority to UPEACE to "grant master's degrees and doctorates". As the resolution to establish the University for Peace was taken by consensus in the General Assembly, the authorisation to award degrees is legally valid in all countries as per international law.[21]

While accreditation is not mandatory in Costa Rica, many programmes at the campus in Costa Rica are also accredited by the Costa Rican accreditation organisation SINAES,[22] or are in the process of obtaining accreditation.

University for Peace degrees are verified by the International Association of Universities/UNESCO.