UNESCO Chair in African Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Bradford (2008)
Purpose/Objectives of the Chair
There is global recognition that despite the multiplicity of wars, armed conflicts and recurrent political violence in many regions of Africa, the continent not only lacks the critical mass of expertise to prevent, manage, resolve armed conflicts and to build the peace, but also some of Africa’s relevant traditional approaches, societal resources and indigenous agencies have been largely neglected in post-war reconstruction and peacebuilding.
The purpose of the UNESCO Chair is to promote an integrated system of research, education, training, capacity building, information and documentation in the field of African peace and conflict studies. It serves as a means of facilitating collaboration between high-level, internationally recognised researchers and teaching staff of the University and the higher education sector and other institutions in Africa, the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe, North America and in other regions of the world.
The UNESCO Chair works on developing curriculum contents, teaching and resource materials on peace, security and development studies for integration into the existing curricula of partner universities in Africa as well as developing new undergraduate and postgraduate degree and diploma programmes in peace and conflict studies / education for peace. It undertakes staff development and training programmes in peace pedagogy and peace research methods at partner universities and is working to lead the establishment of the first ever African Peace University. It also facilitates the development of policy-relevant framework to mainstream and institutionalise peace and conflict studies at tertiary institutions.
Chairholder Professor David Francis
Address: Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford, Bradford, BD7 1DP, UK
Email: d.j.francis@bradford.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1274 235298
Fax: +44 (0)1274 235240
Quick Link to this page: http://www.unesco.org.uk/BradfordChair
Professor David J. Francis is Chair of African Peace and Conflict Studies in the Department of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford. He established the Africa Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University in 2002 (now the John and Elnora Ferguson Centre for African Studies). Professor Francis also led the establishment of Bradford's MA / Postgraduate Diploma programme in African Peace and Conflict Studies as well as leading the implementation of the £1.75 million Allan & Nesta Ferguson Trust project grant to the Africa Centre on Working for Durable Peace and Sustainable Development in Africa.
His research has focused on the nexus of peace-security and development in transition societies in Sub-Saharan Africa with a particular focus on economic and security regionalisms, child soldiers and peacekeeping and conflict management. He has published six books and a number of journal articles, book chapters and policy reports. Based on his capacity building and knowledge transfer activities, he facilitated the introduction, development and implementation of eleven undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes at African universities in five countries, including the establishment of four specialist peace and conflict centres.
Professor Francis has consulted widely for a range of governments, military and police institutions, higher education sector and international institutions including the UN (OSCAL and UNHCR), SIDA-SAREC (Sweden) and the UK Government (Commission for Africa).
Recent Publications
- US Strategy in Africa: AFRICOM, Terrorism & Security Challenges Routledge, September 2009 (Edited)
- Peace and Conflict in Africa (ed.) London : Zed Books, September 2008
- Uniting Africa: Building Regional Peace & Security Systems, Aldershot : Ashgate January 2006.
- Civil Militias: Africa’s Intractable Security Menace? (Ed.) Aldershot : Ashgate, 2005.
- “Peacekeeping in a bad neighbourhood: Effectiveness of ECOWAS in Peace & Security on West Africa ” African Journal of Conflict Resolution Vol. 9, No. 1, Spring 2009 (Forthcoming)
- ”Paper Protection”’ Mechanisms: Child Soldiers and the International Protection of Children in Africa’s Conflict Zones Journal of Modern African Studies Vol. 45, No. 2, Winter 2007
- “Linking Peace, Security and Developmental Regionalism: Regional Economic Integration in Africa ” Journal of Peacebuilding and Development Vol. 2, No.2, 2006.
Select Activity
- INTERVIEW: Professor David Francis was interviewed by GUNI (Global University Network for Innovation) in 2009. In this interview he reflects on the role of higher education institutions in peace building and gives some concrete examples of how universities can contribute to post-conflict societies. View a video of the interview below or visit the GUNI website.
- PUBLICATION: Francis, David “Asymmetrical warfare and the regionalisation of domestic civil wars in Africa: Implications for EU interventions” in Josef Schroef, M. Cox & T. Pankratz (eds.) Winning the Asymmetrical War: Political, Social & Military Responses (Peter Lang: Berlin, 2009), pp. 237-260.
- PRESENTATION: Professor David Francis presented a paper on ‘Enterprise for Peace: Social Responsibility in the Higher Education Sector in Post-conflict Societies in Africa’ at the Africa Roundtable, UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education (UNESCO, Paris, 5-8 July 2009).
University of Bradford 
Chairholder Professor David Francis