This six-week online short course introduces the cutting-edge field of PeaceTech, the use of data and technology to support peacebuilding initiatives.

The course is aimed at peacebuilding professionals in international organisations, non-governmental organisations, government, and/or academia. The course will introduce participants to social science approaches to data on peace and conflict, data analysis, and visualisations.

Course dates: 12 January – 27 February 2026 (six-week course with pre-learning week)

Applications are now open. Please apply by 09 October 2025. Applicants who apply after this date will be added to a waiting list and contacted if a space becomes available.

Fees: £990.00 per student. Successful applicants will receive a payment link within two weeks of the application closing date. Unfortunately we are unable to offer scholarships or discounts.

Upon completing the course, participants will:

• be able to identify, access, download, and view data from the key peace- and conflict-related data resources
• understand the requirements of data interoperability and accessibility
• have a core understanding of the requirements of appropriate research design, as required for undertaking or commissioning research
• be able to access and use common tools for data analysis and visualisation, and create visualisations with combined data from the PA-X Peace Agreements Database

 

Course Outline

Week 1: Social science data on peace and conflict

• What kind of data are available? What is publicly available? What is most often collected? How do organizations turn information into data?
• Data analysis basics: data types, most commonly used datasets
• Key insights from current quantitative research: guided readings and state of the art

 

Weeks 2 – 4: Data analysis principles with a focus on Research designs, Requirements, Tools

• Core principles in assessing research designs
• Assessing feasibility of proposed research designs
• Overview of software and tools used in data analysis

 

Week 5: AI and Natural Language Processing in peace studies, peacemaking and peacebuilding

• Interplay of data quality and AI
• Existing AI tools in the peacemaking and peacebuilding sectors, with a focus on potential use cases and the related ethical concerns
• Routes for using AI tools in a responsible manner
• Natural language processing tools

 

Week 6: DIY – getting started with using free and common tools for data analysis and visualisation

• Publicly available data visualisation tools and trackers
• Excel, R, Tableau, Text-as-data tools

 

Fees

£990.00 per student. Successful applicants will receive a payment link within two weeks of the application closing date. Unfortunately we cannot offer scholarships.

 

Application Process

Please apply by 09 October 2025 using the link above. We aim to contact applicants within two weeks of the closing date. Applicants who apply after this date will be added to a waiting list and contacted if a space becomes available.

 

Entry Requirements

Professional experience: As this course is designed to be practice-based, we prioritise applications from peacebuilding professionals in international organisations, non-governmental organisations, government, academia, and related fields. This enables us to create a community of practice in which participants can learn from each other’s experiences and discuss current opportunities and challenges in their work. While we welcome applications from students and others with an interest in this area, we cannot guarantee a place in case of high demand.

Language proficiency: The course will be taught in English, and all materials will be provided in English. Applicants should be sufficiently fluent in English reading, listening, and writing to engage effectively with other learners.

Technology: Participants will also need an internet connection capable of streaming live video.

 

Course Structure

The course will be run online only. The teaching combines weekly live seminars with pre-recorded lectures and reading material to study independently.

Each week, participants will be sent course content so that they can engage with the material in their own time. Later in the week there will be a synchronous, hour-long online interactive seminar discussion run by the course lead. This discussion is a key component of the learning process and enables participants to reflect on the course materials in a structured format, engage directly with the course lead, and meet other participants from across the field. The synchronous tutorials will be offered in a choice of two time slots, carefully timed to make the session as inclusive as possible across time zones and other commitments.

The expected time commitment for this course is 5 hours per week, which is split between 4 hours of self-directed study and 1 hour of interactive online seminar.

 

Completion

The course is non-credit bearing. Participants will receive a certificate of participation after completion of the course, based on meaningful engagement with online activities and tutorial sessions (defined as 80% attendance and participation in live sessions).

 

Faculty

This course is led by Dr Sanja Badanjak, PeaceRep’s Data Director, and a Chancellor’s Fellow in Global Challenges at the University of Edinburgh School of Law.

Her research interests include the applications of quantitative and text-as-data methods in the study of institutions, elections, and peace processes. She completed her PhD in political science at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and holds and MA in political science from the Central European University.

 

Contact

Contact peacerep.teaching@ed.ac.uk for more information. Sign up to our teaching updates for the latest news on PeaceRep courses.