The Pearson Peacekeeping Centre’s courses cover essential peace operations issues, from human rights and cooperation and coordination, to negotiation and peacebuilding initiatives. Participants acquire the knowledge and skills they need to be effective in complex peace operations environments.

As the field of peace operations is constantly changing, course materials are updated on a regular basis to ensure relevancy to the needs of participants and organizations in the field. Special emphasis is placed on best practices. As well, the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre regularly adds new courses or modules that deal with emerging issues.

Our learning environment is international, multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural. Over 6000 people from 143 countries participated in our courses between 1995 and 2002. Participants come from civilian, military and police backgrounds, and reflect the reality of working in the field.

We believe that training with persons from diverse professional, academic and national backgrounds offers participants the widest perspective on issues, and helps them prepare for assignment.

Our retreat-like setting allows participants to focus on learning and provides daily opportunities to gather socially and discuss concepts and issues and to gain insight into the experience of other participants.

View our course descriptions for complete course details, or contact us at [email protected] to arrange a customized course for your organization.

Course Theory and Practice

Our courses are designed to create a safe environment for participants to learn and practice their skills before going to a more complex and possibly dangerous field situation.

The PPC offers two kinds of courses: Foundation and Specialized.

A different Foundation Course is offered for each one of the three sectors involved in peace operations: civilian, police and military. Foundation Courses focus on core competencies participants require to be effective members of a peace operation. They are designed to ensure that persons with limited or no previous experience in the field are operationally ready to assume their responsibilities.

Foundation Courses are usually two weeks in duration, with two, five-day elements. The first element is a Core Package that introduces basic peace operations concepts and issues. This section is common to all three versions of the Foundation Course. Successful completion of the Core Package, or the equivalent, is a prerequisite for participating in any of our Specialized Courses. The second course element is specific to each of the three sectors of peace operations, which face distinct challenges in the field. The Foundation Course provides sector-specific knowledge and skills that will allow participants to confront them successfully.

The Specialized Courses provide in-depth focus on the complex issues that shape contemporary peace operations. Participants with previous experience can improve their competency in focused subject and skill areas to be more effective in the field environment. Participation is multidisciplinary, and the methodology builds on the vast knowledge available through exchanges between the civilian, military and police participants.

Language

We deliver our programme offering in both of Canada’s official languages, French and English. Most of our English language courses are delivered at our Cornwallis campus in Nova Scotia. The majority of our French language courses are delivered at our Montréal campus. We have also delivered courses in Spanish at off-site locations since 2000, and continue to build our Spanish curriculum and faculty.

Methodology

Courses are taught by permanent staff members (Core Faculty) and Subject Matter Experts (External Faculty). All staff and Faculty have recent peace operations experience, an academic interest in the subject matter and adult education skills and experience.

All PPC courses are based on a series of modules. Each module has a specific learning objective, and can be one to eight hours in duration. When combined, they form a course package. The modular format provides flexibility in course design as different modules can be combined to custom design an activity and respond to learning objectives.

PPC courses delivered at our Cornwallis campus are usually ten days in duration, or 80 hours. This is equivalent to the classroom time required for a university credit. Courses in modular format are typically offered at the Montréal Campus, or at other off-site venues in Canada and abroad. A modular course format may be three to five days (or more) in duration.

The PPC uses several different adult learning teaching methodologies, including formal lectures, small group discussions, exercises and simulations, role-playing, demonstrations, supplementary readings, case studies and informal discussions. The courses build on existing knowledge and skills held by the participants.

The Centre encourages an active learning dynamic where knowledge is transferred between instructors and attendees alike. Accordingly, the Centre refers to attendees as ‘participants’ rather than ‘students’ to reflect the emphasis on active participation required to maximize the learning experience.

Accreditation

Participants can gain academic accreditation for some of our courses. Please contact the Registrar at [email protected] for information on participating universities, and the courses that they recognize.

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