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ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION FOR CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION

The ACT network brings together the team from Cyprus with internationally-leading partners from the UK, stimulating scientific excellence and innovation capacity and Queen’s University Belfastas well as advisors from the Centre for Urban Conflicts. Both complement ACT in different ways; the Centre for Urban Conflicts at the University of Cambridge is a world-renowned excellence centre conducting innovative frontier research in the field of urban conflicts and Queen’s University Belfast has a strong interdisciplinary approach to conflict, peace studies and education while situated, similarly as Nicosia, in an ethno-nationally contested city.

The Urban Conflicts and Segregation Research group (UCS) at the Department of Architecture at the University of Cyprus will take over the overall coordination. UCS acknowledges the need for a multidisciplinary approach to take account of both the spatial, social and other aspects of the built environment. Underpinning research, pedagogic and professional activities of the group is a continuous interest in the spatial dimensions of social phenomena such as conflicts and segregation in cities. UCS researchers will assist in the research and development of an architectural teaching framework as a conflict transformation tool and develop the educational content and execute its implementation in Nicosia, Cyprus. The University of Cyprus Centre for Field Studies (UCYCFS) will advise on the development and implementation of a strategy for measuring prejudice and bias amongst the participants - both baseline measurements as well as post-intervention immediate and delayed measurements.

The Department of Architecture at the Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) will provide input during the development of the educational framework through compiling and submitting relevant case studies it has conducted and collaborate with UCY to develop the educational content and execute its implementation in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Prof. Wendy Pullan, former director of the Centre for Urban Conflicts Research (UCR) at the University of Cambridge, dedicated to investigating cities that experience extreme or particular conflicts, including those caused by ethnicity, nationalism, religion, class or race, will act as the Scientific Advisor of the project. Prof Pullan will act horizontally across all work-packages providing advice to each lead institution and contribute to on-going discussions between the various disciplines.

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