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The Centre for Peace and Reconciliation Studies (CPRS) was a research and teaching centre at Coventry University in the United Kingdom that focused on the study and practice of peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and reconciliation. It became known for combining academic research with professional training and outreach to practitioners and communities affected by conflict. [1]
CPRS was established in 1999 at Coventry University, reflecting the city's post‑war identity as a “City of Peace and Reconciliation” after the destruction of Coventry Cathedral in the Second World War. The centre developed a secular, cosmopolitan profile, bringing together students and researchers from diverse regions and disciplines to explore contemporary peace and conflict issues. [2]
The centre promoted interdisciplinary work spanning politics, sociology, international relations, development studies, and religious and cultural studies, aiming to connect theoretical debates with real‑world peacemaking practice. CPRS also collaborated with local initiatives in Coventry to reinforce the city's wider peace and reconciliation agenda. [3]
CPRS conducted research on themes such as conflict analysis, reconciliation processes, peacebuilding, and post‑conflict reconstruction. Its projects examined both international conflicts and domestic or community‑level disputes, often stressing the importance of dialogue, mediation, and nonviolent approaches. [4]
The centre organised conferences, seminars, workshops, and public events that brought together academics, policymakers, NGOs, faith groups, and community activists. It developed international and national partnerships with universities, research institutes, and civil‑society organisations working on peace and conflict, and contributed expertise through consultancy and training. [5]
CPRS hosted postgraduate programmes in peace and conflict‑related fields, including a master's degree in peace and conflict studies. These programmes combined theoretical study of conflict and peace with practical skills in mediation, negotiation, and project design for peacebuilding. [6]
Students were encouraged to engage with live case studies and, where possible, field‑based research or placements with organisations involved in peace and reconciliation work. Scholarships for outstanding participants helped attract practitioners and students from conflict‑affected regions. [7]
In the mid‑2010s Coventry University reorganised its peace‑related research under the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations (CTPSR), which became the university's largest research centre in this area. Many of the themes previously associated with CPRS—such as peacebuilding, reconciliation, and the social dimensions of conflict—were continued within CTPSR's research and teaching programmes.
The university has since also developed the Centre for Peace and Security (CPS), which focuses on peace, conflict, and security research, further extending Coventry's role as a hub for peace and conflict studies. [8]