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MPCT Alumni
Here is information on some graduates from the MPCT programme.
Delia Dumitrica Despina, Class of 2002-04
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| Delia Dumitrica Despina |
Country of origin Romania
Born in 1975
Previous studies
BA in Journalism and Communication Studies. MA in Southeast European Studies.
How has the MPCT contributed to your development as a person and a professional?
The MPCT program gave me the opportunity of getting to know some extremely interesting people that challenged my worldviews and my ways of thinking. I have gained a sound theoretical background in the area of my research interest (nationalism). Thanks to the multi-disciplinary orientation of the program, I was able to expand my academic knowledge across different disciplines.
What have you done since you graduated from the MPCT, what are you doing now and what are your plans for the future?
I am now undertaking a PhD in communication at the University of Calgary (in Canada) and working as a managing editor for an academic journal and as a teaching assistant. I am doing research on issues surrounding communication technologies and nationalism. As for the future, I plan to stay within academia as a professor.
Bjørn-Richard Hagvåg Monsen, Class of 2002-04
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| Bjørn-Richard Monsen |
Country of origin. Norway
Born in 1976
Previous studies
Political Science, Social Anthropology, International Politics, Economy, Spanish, and African Studies
How has the MPCT contributed to your development as a person and a professional?
I have been able to use several of the theories from the study and the experience from my fieldwork in Guatemala.
What have you done since you graduated from the MPCT, what are you doing now and what are your plans for the future?
I have been working for Aqua Management where I co-edited the final report on a project concerning quality-improvement. After that, in March 2005, I got a job as the region leader for Save the Children in northern in Norway.
Yaliwe Clarke, Class of 2002-04
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| Yaliwe Clarke |
Country of origin Zambia
Born in 1974
Previous studies
Development Studies and Philosophy.
How has the MPCT contributed to your development as a person and a professional?
The MPCT was useful in providing a broad introduction to the theory of peace as currently articulated by Western scholars. It provided a broad introduction to different approaches to peace-building with some insights on particular conflicts. As part of the pioneer class of the MPCT (2002-2004), I learned a lot from suggesting ways of improving the programme to ensure that it exposes students to 'problem-solving' methodologies.
What have you done since you graduated from the MPCT, what are you doing now and what are your plans for the future?
Since I graduated from the MPCT I have taught in a Diploma and Certificate Peace course at the Mindolo Ecuemental Foundation Peace Centre. I have also tutored in the Development Studies Department at the University of Zambia before joining my current position at the Centre for Conflict Resolution. My current work involves among other things performing case studies, developing training manuals and providing training to various civil society actors and senior government officials across Africa. Some of my recent activities include: Human rights and conflict management training for the Office of the Public Protector (OPP), South Africa; training Community Women for Peace-building in Lesotho; developing a peace-building training manual for African Women in Decision-Making Positions; conducting peace-building skills-needs assessments for specific institutions on the continent. I intend to do a PhD at the University of Cape Town on African women's experiences of trauma and healing. My thesis is to feed into my work at Centre for Conflict Resolution.
Alberto Valiente Thoresen, Class of 2003-05
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| Alberto Valiente Thoresen |
Country of origin El Salvador
Born in 1980
Previous studies
Social Economics
How has the MPCT contributed to your development as a person and a professional?
My period as a student at the MPCT has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life, both personally and intellectually. I had classmates from fourteen different countries and lecturers from several departments in the university. Some of them have become friends for life. On occasions their perspectives on research methods, peace and conflict related issues differed a lot from each other. This aspect of the programme was intellectually stimulating. The high level academic search for solutions to these controversies helped me grow scholarly and as a person. I think this has given me a solid base to work for creating knowledge and conditions for non-violence in various contexts, either as a researcher, public official or humanitarian worker.
What have you done since you graduated from the MPCT, what are you doing now and what are your plans for the future?
When I graduated I got a temporary position in the staff of the Centre for Peace Studies. It has been a great opportunity as a former student in the MPCT to be able to apply what I have learned and to contribute to shape the programme. I have administered the quality assurance system of the study, edited a conference report on New Directions in Peace and Conflict Research in which I presented a working paper, assisted the specialisation seminar of master students, worked with the Norwegian Peace Film Award, edited the Centre for Peace Studies' website, organised Peace Forum and contributed to administration tasks. On my free time I have been working with a research proposal on constructive resolution of the conflicts implied in integration policies of adult immigrants. I hope that in the future that project can lead to PhD studies.
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