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Article written by Caid Law (IAFS & SOCY '24), a Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØgraduate who completed the Peace, Conflict and Security Studies Certificate. Caid currently works in the Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder Education Abroad office, but attended this conference as a participant and observer. Many thanks to Caid for taking the time to share this summary!

The 2026 Peace, Conflict and Security Studies (PACS) Pedagogy Conference, hosted by PACS Director Dr. Michael English, brought together scholars, practitioners, and students from across the United States and beyond to address the state and future of the field. The two-day event centered around collaborative discussions following panel presentations on four pertinent topics: the real-world impacts of a PACS education, innovations in PACS pedagogy (the "science of teaching"), psycho-emotional dimensions of PACS research and scholarship, and the relationship between PACS and emerging technologies, particularly generative AI.

The panels focused on exploring how educators can inspire students and prepare them to engage in impactful, fulfilling work both during their studies and after graduation. The skills fostered through peace, conflict and security studies are universally applicable, practical in all industries and sectors and transformative to the ways in which students approach conflict in their own lives and communities. Presenters shared their own approaches to PACS education; among other ideas, panelists talked about ethically designing field-based coursework, resourcing students with strategies to process sensitive content, thoughtfully integrating novel technologies into the curriculum, and introducing pathways for students to get involved in peacebuilding and conflict resolution.

As an observer as much as a participant, I found that the way fellow attendees interacted with each other during the conference organically reflected their training. Participants took turns as speakers, listeners, and facilitators. Roles were adapted as needed, and everyone had a voice. The conference itself was not absent conflict (broadly defined); rather, PACS experts and aspirants alike critically reflected on each other’s ideas as well as consensus assumptions in PACS research. Importantly, there was a shared sense of hope in imagining better futures, and the energy to seek action towards those ambitions.

While perspectives on each of the panels were as diverse as the breadth of the field, participants were united by mutual respect and an enthusiasm to work together through the challenges and opportunities presented by the moment. This was an opportunity for some to reunite with past colleagues (many were PhD graduates from George Mason University’s Jimmy and Rosslyn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution). But equally, new faces from different institutions, professional backgrounds, and experience levels were welcomed into the conversation. Successive conferences will undoubtedly strengthen and build upon these networks, and until then, collaborations within the group are already being discussed. As the conference concluded, there was sense of renewed synergy. I, for one, left with more – yet better – questions than when it began, and a new community with which to co-create the future of PACS pedagogy.