Research programme

Conflict, Conflict Resolution and Crisis Management

This research cluster is a part of the Institute of Political Science’s research programme ‘Institutions, Decisions and Collective Behaviour’. Its members investigate the drivers of political conflict and various types of crises. They study how citizens, political institutions and international organizations mitigate the effects of conflicts, manage crises effectively and legitimately, and prevent them from escalating.

Contact: Niels van Willigen

Many countries and regions are facing a changing threat environment stemming from developments such as immigration, international realignments, climate change, eroding trust in public institutions, and the rise of various non-state actors. At the same time, citizens do not seem to trust the existing response mechanisms employed by national and international political institutions.

In this research cluster, we investigate the drivers of political conflict and various types of crises. We study how citizens, political institutions and international organizations mitigate the effects of conflicts, manage crises effectively and legitimately, and prevent them from escalating. Many political institutions are under siege and appear to be searching for new approaches. Some countries seek to disconnect from international institutional arrangements, others seek to reform them. International organizations play an important role in the collective efforts to develop joint responses to some crises, but they remain powerless in response to others. National arrangements are subject to revision. In short, political communities react differently to threats. Researchers in this cluster seek to explain these differences.

This research cluster incorporates diverse theoretical and methodological approaches, a wide geographical reach (including Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East), a strong understanding of the many drivers of conflict and crises, a strong understanding of the role of political institutions at national and international levels. Members of this cluster are also active in the Leiden University Centre for International Relations (LUCIR).

Members

Other research clusters within the ‘Institutions, Decisions and Collective Behaviour’ programme: