Establishment of the Caucasus Graduate School of Conflict Studies at Kabardino-Balkarian State University had been preceded by several key developments including international events and joint projects.

“Understanding Local Conflicts, Using Development Opportunities” became a basis for the birth of the international research team, members of which have been bound together by their common academic interests and close friendship. The project initiated by our colleagues from Free University of Berlin, namely Prof. Michael Daxner, Jan Koehler, and Aleksey Gunya received the backing from Volkswagen Foundation. The project goal was to transfer social conflicts analysis methodology in a close cooperation with partner universities in the Caucasus (Kabardino-Balkarian State University) and Central Asia (Osh State University) with its introduction into the universities’ curriculum as a specific course unit. Thus, the course introduction facilitated further improvements of both methodology and teaching and learning process. The project team also anticipated their activities to strengthen local capacities to resolve conflicts peacefully and implement development opportunities, which was the overarching project objective.

The implementation started with the first Berlin workshop in 2011, January, where the initiators presented the methodological baselines and paths to improvement of conflicts and development analytical tools.

The first gathering of Berlin researchers with academics, postgraduates, and students from partner universities took place in 2011, March, at Kabardino-Balkarian State University. During the workshop the parties evaluated their capacities and charted the course of further developments in elaboration of the “Conflicts and Development” course according to the problem perception level, amount of basic and specific knowledge, and experience in conflict and development studies on the local level. The workshop was visited by colleagues from Dagestan, North Ossetia, South Ossetia, Chechnya, Adygea, and Karachai-Cherkessia.

The next step in the project implementation was summer school in Free University of Berlin which took place in 2011, July and hosted teachers from Osh and Nalchik. The instructions and trainings were provided by professors and researchers from Free University and internationally recognized experts in conflict studies. Participants of the summer school gained knowledge and skills in identifying, analysing, and forecasting conflict situations. The learning process consisted of 3 units:

- theoretical framework for conflict analysis;

- methods and approaches in conflict studies;

- elaboration of learning programmes and courses for their further introduction into curriculums.

The learning process was structured into 4 packages: actors (participating in conflicts); resources (involved into conflicts), institutions (ordering conflicts), and development. These packages were included in every course unit (theoretical, methodological, and learning) in specific contexts.

The course unit “Conflicts and Development: Theoretical and Methodological Framework” was introduced into the KBSU’s learning process in 2011-2012 academic year in 4 majors – History, Social Work, Law, and Accounting and Auditing. From 2011 to 2013 248 students in total attended academic subject “Conflicts and Development”, with 53 proceeding to participate in the research project. 9 students won a research micro-grant.

The summer school materials and 2011 Nalchik workshop proceedings were put together in the collected papers “Understanding Local Conflicts, Using Development Opportunities” (see Publications).

The final version of the textbook “Conflicts and Development: an Introduction to Methodology and Research Methods” for students in social sciences was issued in 2013, July (see Publications).

The final workshop “Understanding Local Conflicts, Using Development Opportunities” was held in 8-12 August, 2013 in Berghof Foundation, Berlin where researchers, postgraduates, and students from all participating institutions presented the results of their field studies. The project coordinators presented the main outcomes of introducing “Conflicts and Development” into the curriculums and speculated sustainability of learning programmes having been elaborated during three years of lectures and workshops.

The key result of the meeting was the decision to continue the project in the new layout with advanced tasks and objectives. In particular, the project team agreed that the gained experience may provide a basis for the newly developed Master program “Sociology of Conflict” offering tested methods and approaches of empirical research. For that purpose, the project team decided to establish North Caucasian Higher School of Conflict Studies, which was to integrate present international research networks, theoretical frameworks and best routines into the amalgam of theory and practice of social conflict studies.

The next milestone was organizing International Academic Conference “Conflicts and Development: Results and Prospects,” 11 December, 2013 hosted at KBSU. The conference was visited by representatives from universities of Russia, Germany, South Caucasus, and Kabardin-Balkar authorities. The conference received wide media coverage and was translated online on kbsu.ru. Participants took stock of “Understanding Local Conflicts, Using Development Opportunities” and recognized its success. Additionally, the university administration validated introduction of Master program “Sociology of Conflict” and funding KBSU by the European Union grant for the future collaboration with partners from Russia, Germany, Switzerland and South Caucasian states.

The project team set up new stages in spreading the gained positive experience of conflict resolutions and further developments in other regions. The university administration supported the idea of establishing North Caucasian Higher School of Conflict Studies for knowledge exchanges across the Caucasian Region.

The Caucasus Graduate School of Conflict Studies was planned to become a training centre for engaged in Caucasian Studies researchers in Conflict Studies. Such stuffing policies in the North Caucasus is particularly valuable since the school alumni will be occupied in both universities and authorities as people able to fill the void between science and policies. Establishment of such a school of thought may become a powerful tool to implement best academic guidelines in conflict resolutions and peace-making, avoid snap expert judgements and emergence of fake myths and discourses that challenge the regional sustainability. To effectively manage the strategic development of the school the newly established Trust Board will take up decision-making process in leveraging of resources to support the operation of the School.