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This research looks at educational policy and administration in societies affected by conflict.

This research theme is most pertinent to the education in the Northern Irish context. Educational policy in contested societies, like Northern Ireland, is a sensitive issue fraught with political, ethnic, religious and other tensions. The Centre recognises the importance of research interventions into these issues, in order to improve the administration and delivery of education.

The research into this topic has both local and global outreach through our collaboration with the UNESCO Centre and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Centre has worked extensively on both education as a policy and the administration of education within the conflict society.

Prof Knox has written on shared education initiatives while Dr O’Connor has written on the role of the street level bureaucrat in delivering conflict narratives to children. The Centre also has a very close relationship with our colleagues in the UNESCO Centre.

We have a number of joint projects looking at integrated education in Northern Ireland and, in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross, looking at the role of education in areas of violent conflict.