Bradford arms forces with peacekeeping expertise

Bradford University academics have signed up to help British armed services personnel keep the peace in conflict zones such as Iraq.

The university has won a Ministry of Defence contract to provide short courses for up to 120 men and women from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, from next autumn.

The courses, each of which lasts four days, mix the practical with the theoretical to give personnel, most of whom will be officers, the knowledge and skills to help resolve potentially volatile situations while reducing the risks to themselves, their colleagues and local people.

The courses, which will be run within the university's peace studies department, offer four options: conflict resolution; African security and peacekeeping; terrorism; and European security.

Malcolm Chalmers, professor of international politics, said: "Winning the war may be relatively easy, but winning the peace can be much more difficult.

"In most of these situations, our armed service personnel will operate better if they have a sophisticated understanding of the societies in which they are operating, conflict dynamics and conflict-resolution tactics."

Students will study real-life case studies of conflict resolution and may engage in enactment scenarios to give the theory practical integrity.