The Richardson Institute for Peace Studies was the first peace & conflict research centre in the UK and one of the first in the world. It is part of the Department of Politics, Philosophy, and Religion at Lancaster University, where its members publish research, hold lectures and workshops, and run academic outreach programmes.

History

The Richardson Institute began as an independent organisation, the Lancaster Peace Research Centre, in the

North of England Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North Country, or simply the North, is the northern area of England. It broadly corresponds to the former borders of Angle Northumbria, the Anglo-Scandinavian Kingdom of Jorvik, and the ...

in 1959. The centre was incorporated first into the Politics Department at Lancaster University, and then in 1969 into a branch of the Conflict Research Society at the

University of Kent , motto_lang = , mottoeng = Literal translation: 'Whom to serve is to reign'(Book of Common Prayer translation: 'whose service is perfect freedom')Graham Martin, ''From Vision to Reality: the Making of the University of Kent at Canterbury'' ...

. There the centre was renamed the Richardson Institute for Conflict and Peace Research in honour of the polymath and pacifist

Lewis Fry Richardson Lewis Fry Richardson, FRS (11 October 1881 – 30 September 1953) was an English mathematician, physicist, meteorologist, psychologist, and pacifist who pioneered modern mathematical techniques of weather forecasting, and the application of s ...

, and was moved to 158 North Gower St, London, which it shared with the

Women’s Research and Resources Centre The Feminist Library was founded as the Women's Research and Resources Centre in 1975 by a group of women concerned about the future of the Fawcett Library to ensure that the history of the women's liberation movement survived. The founders inc ...

. During this time the Institute not only published academic papers, but also released an animated film about the nature of human communication in the United States. On 1 October 1978, with funding from the

Joseph Rowntree Foundation The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) is a charity that conducts and funds research aimed at solving poverty in the UK. JRF's stated aim is to "inspire action and change that will create a prosperous UK without poverty." Originally called the ...

, the institute returned to Lancaster University as an autonomous body of the Politics Department. There its activities diversified into undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, ultimately leading to the creation of a

studentship A studentship is a type of academic scholarship. United States In the US a ''studentship'' is similar to a scholarship but involves summer work on a research project. The amount paid to the recipient is normally tax-free, but the recipient is r ...

in 2006. Its early minor course in conflict & peace research proved particularly popular, and the institute became renowned for lecturing in "unashamedly

behavioural Behavior (American English) or behaviour (British English) is the range of actions and mannerisms made by individuals, organisms, systems or artificial entities in some environment. These systems can include other systems or organisms as we ...

" models of social science. In 1990 the members of the institute consolidated their work by publishing ''A Reader in Peace Studies'', a basic text that became set reading for many introductory peace studies courses. As a result of this new activity, the institute was given the more general trade name of the Richardson Institute for Peace Studies. As the institute shared more of the Politics Department’s day-to-day teaching responsibilities, its other activities declined. With funding from the

Arts and Humanities Research Council The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), formerly Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB), is a British research council, established in 1998, supporting research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities. History The Arts a ...

, the institute was re-launched in September 2012. In 2013 it began the Richardson Institute Internship Programme, a year-long, multidisciplinary research placement with such partners as the

Institute for Strategic Dialogue The Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) is a think tank founded in 2006 by Sasha Havlicek and George Weidenfeld that specialises in research and policy advice on hate, extremism, and disinformation. It is headquartered in London, United ...

and the

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, and in 2016 it opened a course in the political theology of peace as the first in a number of

distance learning Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at a school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally, this usually i ...

modules on positive politics. The institute also hosts an annual peace lecture series and runs a film club. Its present aim is to become an international partner of choice for universities and to improve the public understanding of peace. Since 2012 the institute has published on such diverse topics as Indo-Pak relations, sexuality in the

Anglican Church Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...

, and maritime

cyber operations Cyberwarfare is the use of computer technology to disrupt the activities of a state or organization, especially the deliberate attacking of information systems for strategic or military purposes. As a major developed economy, the United States ...

, and the

ESRC The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), formerly the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). UKRI is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) funded by the UK government. ESRC provides fundi ...

has rated its research as outstanding.

References

External links

* {{authority control Research institutes in the United Kingdom Peace and conflict studies Organizations established in 1959 Lancaster University

History

See also

References

External links