Research Projects

The AARMENA

presents a comprehensive overview of global research on reconciliation, conflict transformation, and peacebuilding through transdisciplinary approaches. The AARMENA research utilizes a transdisciplinary perspective, integrating Political Science, Psychology, History, Sociology, Law, Religion, Theology, Economics, Anthropology, and digital humanities.

Co-Funded by the Erasmus Plus Program of the European Union. 

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is currently more affected by wars and gross human rights violations than any other region. This context requires innovative and promising approaches to promoting peace must be developed and integrated into the higher education system within the region. 

Reconciliation, peacebuilding, and conflict transformation studies are innovative approaches aimed at transforming violent conflicts and fostering social and cultural change through transformative action. The development of these studies in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region has the potential to positively impact numerous disciplines and the communities involved. This integration gained acknowledgment following the establishment of AARMENA (Association of Arab Universities in the MENA region), where 45 professors from 30 different Arab universities became members. Currently, we are collaborating to build capacity in higher education institutions (HEIs) for peace, reconciliation, and conflict transformation studies throughout the MENA region.

The research will explore the integration of reconciliation theory from the Hölderlin perspective for the Jena Center for Reconciliation Studies (JCRS), led by Prof. Dr. Martin Leiner at Friedrich Schiller University. This will be done in conjunction with concepts related to Elicitive Conflict Transformation and transitional shifts toward "Many waves of peace" under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Dietrich at the UNESCO Chair for Peace at Innsbruck University. The theories will be applied in the master's program developed through the AARMENA Program for higher education institutions in the Middle East and North Africa. Data gathered from this research will be utilized, with a focus on enhancing stability and validity for the AARMENA program through machine learning and artificial intelligence applications.

The AARMENA is researching with the University of Jodan, a program titled Applied Ethics in Digital Humanities, in which researchers applied artificial intelligence and machine learning as best practices in digital humanities. The program is part of a master's program in computer science at the University of Jordan.

AARMENA, with the University of Petra team, is working on developing a capacity-building project that will develop research on cyber security, including curriculum building and capacities for teaching the program as a master's program at Petra University.

Activities

AARMENA's activities include the following:

1. Joint research projects
2. Ph.D. program focused on reconciliation, conflict transformation, and peace studies
3. Scientific workshops on reconciliation
4. Biennial symposium
5. Publication of books
6. Development of curricula for higher education institutions
7. Capacity building for higher education institutions

AARMENA -Publication

AARMENA develops a book series focused on reconciliation, conflict transformation, and peace studies, along with other works addressing reconciliation amidst conflict, the publication is scopus indext by Springer Nature.

AARMENA Funders

AARMENA relies on institutional funding as well as third-party sources, such as the German Science Foundation. It is also co-funded by the Erasmus Plus program of the European Union and the Abbe Foundation.