Fall 2026
Peace and Conflict Resolution in the Middle East
Dates: August 24, 2026 – December 17, 2026Day/Time: Monday; Thursday 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM EDT
Level: 400-Level
Certificate: Global Studies
Global Studies certificate requirement: Introductory course on international relations, globalization, global affairs.
Instructor: Hidayet Siddikoglu, American University of Afghanistan
This course aims to equip students with the necessary tools—core theories, key concepts, and case studies—to apply critical reasoning in analyzing diverse real-world conflicts and to assess practical pathways toward durable solutions to some of the most pressing violent situations of the twenty-first century. It pays particular attention to protracted and evolving conflicts in the Middle East, including Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq, the Israel–Palestine context, and wider regional dynamics involving Iran, examining how these crises shape patterns of violence, displacement, governance, and human security. The course also explores approaches to conflict analysis and resolution that seek to transform unjust, violent, and oppressive conditions into more equitable and nonviolent strategies, while identifying, deconstructing, and critically evaluating the structures and narratives that sustain violent environments.
Credits: 4 US / 8 ECTS