This program is especially dedicated to producing a global perspective for students whose international experience is mostly limited. The Programme’s international faculty coordinates regular visits from international experts, authorities, and practitioners in peace and security.
Many students work for government at the regional and national levels. In 2011, most students, except for one student from Somaliland, were of Ethiopian origin. The average age of the programme’s participants was 35, and the average number of years of professional experience was 12 years.
The topics selected by the students for their 2011 Master’s thesis were diverse and compelling. Research topics included: ´The Experience of Ethnic Policy and Relations in Gambella’ and ‘Inter-group Conflicts in the Awash Valley of Ethiopia’.
Key international contributions to the programme in 2011 featured:
- Bjorn Moeller, a visiting professor from Denmark, who delivered a ten-day module on ‘International Peace and Security’.
- British professor P.D. Williams, a well-respected authority on peace and security, who taught a course titled, ‘An Introduction to International Peace and Security’.
The Master’s programme delivers excellent career prospects. In 2011 graduates from the first batch of the programme found prominent positions in the field of peace and security. One former student recently became the Ethiopian Ambassador to Zimbabwe. Another graduate was appointed Minister of Commerce in Ethiopia, and yet another former student became Director General of UN peacekeeping forces for the Ethiopian charter.
Twice a year, IPSS compiles the most engaging thesis, which are published as an anthology of Ethiopian excellence in the field of peace and security.