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University of Bradford

Department of Peace Studies

About Us

The Centre for International Cooperation and Security (CICS) is a centre of excellence for research, training and learning in ‘peace and security’ issues and concerns at the interface of: human security; violent conflict; sustainable development; and democratic governance within the Department of Peace Studies . As such, CICS’ mandate is to combine  both:

The ‘value added’ provided by CICS is the ability to bridge the divide that often separates academics and practitioners.

CICS was established in September 2002 and has developed rapidly. By 2007, CICS had eleven staff and a growing number of CICS Associates – researchers and experts from around the world  affiliated with the Centre. Our multi-disciplinary approach is rooted in the cross-cutting thematic and area specialisms of individual CICS staff and the members of other Research Centres within the Department of Peace Studies. Our work enables us to capitalise on the  wide range of talent and expertise available within our university setting.   

The Director of CICS is Christopher Cushing and the Chair of the CICS Management Committee is Dr Owen Greene .

Aims

CICS aims to develop academically-based applied research and assist in the development of ‘peace and security’ policy and programme advice and training and education opportunities across a range of issue-areas relating to violent conflict, human security, sustainable development and democratic governance.
We conduct commissioned research and training activities on behalf of a wide range of clients, including: the UK and other governments; regional and international organisations (such as the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), African Union (AU) and the OECD-DAC); NGO’s, civil society organisations; the private sector; and other academic institutions. In doing so, we draw on a wide network of external subject-matter experts and practitioners in addition to our own in-house expertise. We also conduct longer-term academic research, contributing to the Department’s reputation as one of the key international centres in the field.

Current thematic priorities focus on: human security, violent conflict, sustainable social development and democratic governance with a particular interest in:
(a) Post-conflict Security-building, Reconstruction and Stabilisation at the National and Regional levels; 
(b) Security Sector Reform (SSR) including Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR), Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and Arms Management;
(c) Democratization Strategies and Programming, Election Security, Accountability and Governance;
(d) Peacebuilding and Conflict-sensitive Development (CSD) including Conflict Analysis, Prevention, Management and Resolution; and
(e) Emerging Risks and Future Threats to sustainable peace within a human rights and environmental-social-development framework, including proliferation and illicit trafficking.

For example, our ‘DDR and Human Security: Post-conflict Security Building and the Interests of the Poor’ Programme, seeks to contribute substantially and innovatively to policy-programme knowledge and to the design, implementation and evaluation of DDR and related post-conflict stabilisation, peace-building and reconstruction programmes.

A primary goal is to motivate and equip relevant international and local policy and practitioner communities to improve the effectiveness of DDR and associated post-conflict programmes through more strategic and creative interventions aimed at addressing human security priorities and ultimately, at improving the lives of the poor. For further details, see (External) www.ddr-humansecurity.org.uk  

The geographical scope of CICS research is also wide-ranging and covers all regions. For example:
Global:
Sida Framework Agreement: ‘Help Desk’ and ‘Specific Assignments’ for Peace and Security in Development Cooperation (four years);
OECD DAC CPDC Network: Developing an Implementation Framework for Security System Reform (IF-SSR);
UK FCO: Chevening Programme: Security Sector Reform in Countries Emerging from Conflict (five years);
UK DFID: DDR and Human Security: Post-conflict Security-building in the Interests of the Poor (27 months);
UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) Training Courses: (b) “Terrorism: Causes, Trends and Responses”; (c) “Conflict Resolution” (five years);
UK DFID: Conflict Training for Governance Advisors Course;
UK DFID Conflict, Security and Development Framework Contract (three years);
Europe :
Government of Finland: EU Presidency Foreign Policy Briefings (1/2006);
UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) Training Course: (d) “European Security” (five years);
EC Europe Aid Lot 13: Humanitarian Aid, Crisis Management and Post-crisis Assistance;
EC Europe Aid Lot 7: Culture, Governance and Home Affairs
Latin America :
Government of Venezuela: Presidential Election Observation Mission (November-December, 2006);
Government of Jamaica: support for developing a national security strategy
North America :
Government of Canada: Responsibility to Protect Project (2006)
Asia :
US USAID Nepal Election Security Assessment (2006)
  Africa :
EU: Facilitation of a Developed Regional EC Approach to the Horn of Africa (2006);
UK DFID: Evaluation of Conflict Reduction Strategies in Northern Uganda (1999-2005);
UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) Training Courses: (a) “African Security and Peacekeeping in Complex Political Emergencies”

Centre for International Cooperation and Security

Last modified: Saturday 6 October 2007.

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Centre for International Cooperation and Security
University of Bradford
Bradford
West Yorkshire
BD7 1DP
UK
Tel: +44(0)1274 23 5172
Email: cics@bradford.ac.uk
Web: ssis-webmaster@bradford.ac.uk

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Tel: +44 (0)1274 23 2323
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