The Swiss Center for Conflict Research, Management, and Resolution

The Swiss Center for Conflict Research, Management, and Resolution is an interdisciplinary center established in 1999 at the initiative of the Swiss Friends of the Hebrew University and the University’s European Executive Council. The Center was officially dedicated by former Swiss President Ruth Dreyfus in May 2000.

Operating within the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Hebrew University, the Center brings together students and researchers from diverse disciplines who share a commitment to understanding the causes of domestic and international conflicts, with a particular focus on Israel. The Center explores methods, strategies, and tools to manage and resolve conflicts through the lenses of social psychology, political science, international relations, communication and media studies, sociology, education, and law.

Core Activities

1. Multidisciplinary Graduate Program
   The Center offers advanced master’s and doctoral programs for students interested in conflict research and resolution. Students gain theoretical knowledge and practical skills to manage and resolve conflicts across social, political, ethnic, and economic domains.

2. Mediation and Negotiation Training
   The Center trains professional mediators who work in Israel’s mediation system, helping alleviate the burden on the courts. Students with backgrounds in psychology, sociology, social work, international relations, law, education, and communication develop practical mediation skills, including internships in community, municipal, and governmental institutions. Special programs focus on conflict intervention in the education system, especially in high schools.

3. Research
   Faculty and students conduct research on local, regional, and international conflict management and resolution. The Center’s publications appear in leading journals and contribute to both theoretical and practical advancements in the field.

4. International Exchange
   The Center hosts seminars, workshops, and conferences that foster collaboration and exchange of ideas among scholars and practitioners worldwide.

Students

The Swiss Center attracts a select group of students from top universities, including the Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University, Haifa University, Ben-Gurion University, the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, and international institutions such as Yale, Brandeis, George Washington University, McGill, SOAS, Northwestern, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Maryland. Students come from diverse disciplines, including International Relations, Political Science, Psychology, Communication and Journalism, Law, Middle Eastern Studies, Islamic Studies, History, Linguistics, and Literature.

Alumni

The Swiss Center has graduated hundreds of students who now hold senior positions across academia, government, media, peacebuilding organizations, and municipal leadership. Notable alumni include university faculty, diplomats, professional mediators, media and journalism professionals, and public leaders, such as Rachel Azaria, former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem and Member of the 20th Israeli Parliament.