Testimonials
All students are very proactive and interested, which creates a passionate and studious environment.
- Previous education
- International Relations and Organizations (Universiteit Leiden)
- Programme
- Conflict, Power and Politics
- Study start date
- Study end date
What do you like about the programme and why?
My previous Bachelor's was in International Relations and Organizations. So, it was quite similar but broader than my Master's. Within this programme, we focus on why and how conflicts develop, the different aspects of warfare, and how peace can be build after. What I find very enlightening within my courses, is that there is always time to talk about and discuss current events. In addition, within each block there is always a seminar where you discuss the theoretical and often also the practical implications, with your peers. These seminars, in my opinion, are key to understanding the literature and how it can be applied.
What do you think about the atmosphere in class?
The atmosphere in class is very collaborative. Everyone supports you and wants to help you grow. There are a lot of discussions and group projects which promote teamwork. In addition, it highlights different perspectives which can boost your own development. All students are very proactive and interested, which creates a passionate and studious environment.
What do you find most challenging in your Master’s?
I did not do my Bachelor's at Radboud Universiteit, which created some obstacles for me, especially in the first few weeks. There are different systems, procedures and general rules. As no one could give me concrete information on this, I mostly had to find it out myself.
Are you currently doing an internship and what is your thesis about?
I have previously completed some master courses which I was able to transfer and therefore I am not doing an internship at this time. I am currently in the process of writing my thesis which is about sex trafficking and gender-based violence within conflicts.
Why do you think it is important that there are people with this degree?
Our world is changing rapidly, people are becoming more polarised and afraid. Due to globalisation, we know way more about what is going on on the other side of the world, but there is also more misinformation. This all creates uncertainty and mistrust all over the globe, which is why I believe it is important to have people who can analyse these conflicts and possibly limit the spread of misinformation.
This Master's opens the eyes to the complex mechanisms that are in effect within conflict-affected regions.
- Previous education
- Pre-Master's Political Science (Radboud University)
- Programme
- Conflict, Power and Politics
- Study start date
- Study end date
What do you like about the programme and why?
The Master's programme is exciting and consists of subjects that will improve your skills as a researcher, but also increase your knowledge regarding war-related themes such as just war theory, peace building, and broader theories about conflict. Furthermore, the knowledge and new perspectives, combined with the discussions in class, provoke and stimulate you to think beyond your current world views. They create awareness regarding your prejudices and open your ideas to other perspectives without placing judgment on any viewpoint.
What do you think about the atmosphere in class?
This Master's is built around improving skills as a researcher, knowledge transfer, and debate regarding the themes that are touched upon in class. Therefore, the discussions within class are always open and without any judgment regarding one's opinions. Furthermore, most of the time, the professors try to provoke critical thinking by asking how you would make sense of a certain situation, utilising the thoughts and ideas of some authors that we read in class. This results in awareness, fruitful discussions, and sometimes a change in one's worldviews.
What do you find most challenging in your Master’s?
Some of the subjects are under construction and therefore have not yet reached their end-state. This has resulted in some uncertainty in some instances.
Why do you think it is important that there are people with this degree? And what are your plans once you have received your Master's degree?
Within the current volatile global situation, in which leaders are becoming more authoritarian and less interested in democracy - or so it seems - people must get educated regarding the negative effects that such leaders and their decisions can have. Often decisions get portrayed as simple, whilst this Master's opens the eyes to the complex mechanisms that are in effect within conflict-affected regions.
I think that people with a deeper understanding of these mechanisms can positively influence policy that is either meant to prevent these instances or is designed to help create a better environment after conflict has occurred. Furthermore, I am currently in active military service while doing the Master's programme. After obtaining the degree, I am planning to transfer into the more political dimensions within the military to hopefully positively impact how we think about the military, how we utilise it, and deploy it.
I find the field so interesting because of its daily urgency. Moreover, situations of violent conflict tend to provide deep insights into the nature and drives of individuals and societies.
- Nationality
- Dutch
- Programme
- Conflict, Power and Politics
Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Mathijs van Leeuwen. I studied rural development sociology at Wageningen University. I had jobs at Clingendael and various NGOs in Kenya, Sudan, Guatemala and Bolivia before doing a PhD on civil society peacebuilding and its international support in Burundi and Guatemala.
From then on, I specialised in Peace & Conflict Studies, notably working on land disputes and land governance in conflict-affected settings; climate change, natural resources and conflict; civil society and local peacebuilding; local state- and non-state governance and state formation; and the discourses and practices of intervening organisations regarding conflict and peace.
I am coordinator of the master-track ‘Conflict, Power & Politics’ and in that, I teach a course on 'Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding'. I also teach the first-year Bachelor's course 'Introduction to Conflict Analysis', and the elective 'Framing and the legitimation of security policies and violent conflict'.
Why did you choose to work in this field? What makes this field so interesting?
I am fundamentally driven by a search for justice for people whose voices remain unheard, and for opening the eyes of young people for what is happening in other parts of the world. I have a passion for conducting research, which enables me to get in contact with people from all types of backgrounds and social groups. I find the field so interesting because of its daily urgency. Moreover, situations of violent conflict tend to provide deep insights into the nature and drives of individuals and societies. Though sometimes depressing, my research also brings examples of the enormous resilience and imagination of people, and their capacities for change in difficult circumstances.
What are you currently doing your own research on?
Over the last fifteen years, most of my research projects -in one way or the other- touched upon land. After all, in sub-Saharan Africa, agricultural land remains very important for rural people's livelihoods, while access to and ownership of land as well as land governance are often heavily contested, if not a critical dimension of civil war. I thus study (local) land and its governance as a 'lens' to better understand other important dynamics in conflict-affected settings, like local peacebuilding, the legitimacy of traditional authorities, local dynamics of state formation, and international intervention practices. Most of my work is in the African Great Lakes region, but I am also deeply interested in conflict dynamics in West Africa, notably Burkina Faso.
What advice do you have for students making their study choice?
If you are interested in questions like 'why are conflicts in some situations solved peacefully and in others turn into war? how do people come to consider each other as enemies? what are the roles of climate change to international conflict? what are the roles in war of both the international community and local people? what does conflict transformation look like in our own society?'; and if you are interested to explore how you as an individual can contribute to transforming our society, then Peace & Conflict Studies will certainly be the place for you!
Anyway, my advice would be to choose for what you are passionate about. After all, our academic programme provides you with a diversity of skills -including analytical skills, defining policy advice, operating in diverse social environments- that will serve you well in various future working environments, such as ministries, NGOs, and business, or journalism and teaching.
What is the best part of working with students?
Seeing students grow into independent thinkers, with the capacity and confidence to engage with real life challenges of society. I get energised myself (and carried away!) when discussing themes of sustainability and societal transformation with students, e.g. during thesis supervision. I get inspired by students' creative ideas in approaching though problems from new perspectives.
What does your work in practice bring to your academic work, and vice versa?
Before joining the university, I worked for a couple of years for NGOs. In my current research, I continue to engage with development practitioners and policymakers, and in dialogue reflect on their activities and on the implications of academic findings for work. This keeps me alert to common, persistent assumptions underlying their policies and interventions, but also sensitive to the challenges in overcoming these. This provides important lessons for students that will constitute the next generation of staff of these organisations.