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The
MCPR till date has conducted several programmes and activities jointly and in
collaborations with several institutions in India and abroad. A brief sketch of
such programmes is as follows: Fulbright
Visiting Faculty Every
year there is a visiting Fulbright scholar under the United States Educational Foundation in India (USEFI) Program :
Peace
and Justice Program, Wellesley College, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Joint
Workshops: Every
year exchange between the faculty and students of the Peace and Justice Program
of Wellesley College, Massachusetts, U.S.A and MCPR takes place. The
collaboration between the Malaviya Centre for Peace Research & Peace and
Justice Program, Wellesley College have led to two Workshops: January
3-10, 2003, Gandhi & Global Perspectives on Peace
& Social Justice; January
13-17, 20001, Conflict & Harmony: Inter-Cultural & Inter-Religious
Perspectives in South Asia and January, 14-19, 2000, Conflict
Resolution Perspectives in South Asia. The
participants in the three workshops included Victor H. Kanzanjian Jr., Dean of
Religious Life and Co-Director of the Peace and Justice Studies Program, Sally
Merry, Professor of Anthropology and Co-Director of the Peace and Justice
Program at Wellesley college, Arun Gandhi, Director of MK Gandhi Institute of
Non-Violence, Dr. Priyankar Upadhyaya, Prof. K. D. Tripathy, Faculty of Arts,
BHU, Prof. Anjoo Sharan Upadhyaya, Dr. Ashutosh Misra, Craig Murphy, Marissa
Vansaanen among others. A group of graduates from the Wellseley college and
research scholars of MCPR also participated in these workshops. Ohio
State University, Columbus, USA. Joint
Projects: The
foundation of an important institutional relationship was laid when a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Banaras Hindu University and the
Ohio State University, Columbus, U.S.A.. As a result of the MoU, MCPR and
Mershon Center for International Security have joined hands for developing
projects of mutual concern. In this connection Dr. Priyankar Upadhyaya of MCPR
and Prof. Rick Hermann of Mershon Centre have been exchanging visits to decide
the future course. Department
of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University,
Sweden. Exchange
Programme: One of
the oldest academic relationships of the MCPR has been the exchange programme
with the Department of Peace and Conflict Research (DPCR), Uppsala
University, Sweden. Till date, 4 students and a number of faculty of the Banaras
Hindu University have received Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA)
scholarships to pursue Masters’ and Advance International Diploma courses in
conflict resolution at DPCR. Prof. Peter Wallensteen, Dr. Kjell-Ake Nordquist
and others from DPCR have participated in various programmes at MCPR International
Dialogue and Discussion with the assistance of USIS (United States Information
Services) : In
January 1995, the MCPR organised a panel discussion in Varanasi,
between India and Pakistan on Conflict Resolution Models in South Asia.
Opinions makers from the two countries namely, Javed Jabbar, former
Pakistani Minister of Information, Ambassador Niaz Naik, former Foreign
Secretary of Pakistan, and Harold Saunders, from the Kettering Foundation
participated in the discussion. The
international visitor programme of the USIS has also led to scholarly exchanges
between MCPR and other institutes in the US and widen the existing network in
the sphere of conflict resolution. British
Council, New Delhi Workshops: MPCR
has established links with institutions across the United Kingdom the British
Council, New Delhi. In collaboration with British Council the Centre organised two
workshops on Human Rights: A Concern for Prison Reforms, 4 March 1998,
and Women & Peace: Intercultural Dimensions 22 February, 2001. MCPR
has also established sound institutional links with Initiative on Conflict
Resolution and Ethnicity (INCORE), Northern Ireland. Wisconsin
University, Madison, U.S.A. Academic
Support: The College years
in India of Wisconsin University has provided a significant for the graduate
students of Wisconsin University to take path in academic activities of MCPR. A
number of field work/ dissertations were produced under the guidance of
faculty at the MCPR Over
the past few years MCPR has been extending academic support to the students of
Wisconsin University by its offering facilities and guidance. These students
come to India as a part of their College Year Program in India. So far 7
students have written their dissertation under the guidance of MCPR faculty. ALTERNATIVES-Institute
of Central/East European Russian Area-Studies (CERAS), Canada Exchange
of Institutional Expertise and Ideas: In
October 1999, during his visit to Canada, MCPR coordinator Dr. Priyankar
Upadhyaya interacted with major centres and initiatives in Canada working on
issues concerning South Asia. One productive outcome of the visit was
establishing links with ALTERNATIVES (CERAS) based in Montreal and an Ottawa
based initiative of NGO's focusing on human developmental issues in South Asia.
The two centres have exchanged ideas extensively and developed their websites
through consultation. They have also in-depth discussion on the entire gamut of
issues of mutual concern. In 2000, MCPR also sought the cooperation of
ALTERNATIVES (Canada) in developing its website. An intern from AlTERNATIVES
visited MCPR on a three weeks deputation to develop an interactive website. |