Global leader in international mediation directs new program at Kroc Institute | News | Notre Dame News | University of Notre Dame Skip To Content Skip To Navigation Skip To Search University of Notre Dame Notre Dame News Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Home Contact Search Menu Home › News › Global leader in international mediation directs new program at Kroc Institute Global leader in international mediation directs new program at Kroc Institute Published: October 01, 2018 Author: Colleen Sharkey Laurie Nathan Combining research and practice, the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies within the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs launched a mediation program at the beginning of this academic year. The program focuses primarily on building synergy between mediation research, teaching, training, policy and practice and is led by Professor of the Practice of Mediation Laurie Nathan, a senior mediation adviser to the United Nations.   “The mediation program is an important part of Kroc’s new strategic plan that emphasizes the connection between research and practice,” said Asher Kaufman, John M. Regan Jr. Director of the Kroc Institute. “Laurie Nathan is a global leader in the practice of international mediation and at the same time is also a leading scholar on mediation and conflict prevention. He embodies the model of a reflective practitioner that we support at the Kroc Institute.”   Nathan has extensive international mediation experience with the U.N. and with the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in the Horn of Africa. He is the lead designer and trainer of the U.N. High Level Mediation Course that aims to deepen participants’ knowledge and skills relating to mediation in high-intensity conflicts such as those in South Sudan, Syria and Yemen.   “In many cases of armed conflict, mediation is the difference between war and peace. It has become the primary peacemaking strategy in civil wars in particular,” said Nathan. “As one of the leading peace institutes in the world, the Kroc Institute has a rare combination of serious scholarly work and committed policy and practitioner engagement. This is exactly the right place to house the new mediation program.”   This fall, Nathan is teaching the course “Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice of Mediation.” He hopes that, as the program grows, it will attract undergraduate and graduate students from around the world who wish to specialize in mediation research and practice. Nathan will also curate a hub for mediation resources housed on the Kroc Institute’s website.   “What we are offering students is not only theory and knowledge of the main scholarly debates, but also insight into the actual experience of mediation,” said Nathan. “Mediation usually happens behind closed doors, and it therefore cannot be observed directly by students and researchers. I am able to draw on my own experience, and that of other seasoned mediators, to give students a sense of what happens during mediated negotiations.”   Contact: Colleen Sharkey, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-9958, csharke2@nd.edu Posted In: Research International Home Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Related September 29, 2022 Notre Dame, Ukrainian Catholic University launch three new research grants September 27, 2022 Notre Dame, Trinity College Dublin engineers join to advance novel treatment for cystic fibrosis September 12, 2022 Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street … in different countries? June 01, 2022 University of Notre Dame to establish consortium of Catholic universities to study Muslim-Christian relations May 03, 2022 Pulte Institute launches Central America Research Alliance For the Media Contact Office of Public Affairs and Communications Notre Dame News 500 Grace Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Pinterest © 2022 University of Notre Dame Search Mobile App News Events Visit Accessibility Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn