The European University Center for Peace Studies offered postgraduate political studies from 1990 to 2013 in Stadtschlaining,

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. The institution was founded in 1988 by Gerald Mader in his capacity as president of the ASPR, with the support of European

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

commissions, and is affiliated to the Austrian Study Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ASPR), also located at Stadtschlaining. The original curriculum of EPU was designed along the lines of Johan Galtung’s ”Plan for a Master of Peace and Conflict Resolution” which he developed for the

University of Hawaii A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

. The EPU has been offering postgraduate programs in

Peace Studies Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...

since 1990. In 1995, EPU was co-winner of the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education. The EPU's UNESCO Chair on Peace, Human Rights and Democracy was established in 1996. Between 2010 and 2013, the institute gained accredited private university status and was renamed to "European Peace University (EPU) - Private Universität". In July 2013, EPU's accreditation was withdrawn by Austria's accreditation body; students currently enrolled in the "Master of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies" programme may finish their studies until 2014.AQ Austria: Widerruf der Akkreditierung
/ref> Primary goals of the EPU are: * Spreading the idea of peace in the spirit of the UNESCO * Giving scientific and educational support to global peace * Promoting a "world domestic policy" based on sustainable development, cooperative responsibility and ecological security * Contributing to the development of a global peace culture * Training and improving individual capabilities in peace-making and

conflict resolution Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of conflict and retribution. Committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information abo ...

References

UNESCO Universities and colleges in Austria Private universities and colleges in Austria {{Austria-university-stub