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​The Education, Conflict and Peace Lab focuses on four main strands of research:


First, higher education (for peace) in conflict-affected contexts: This strand investigates three key areas (listed below) in a variety of conflict-affected and post-conflict settings, including Afghanistan, Colombia, Cyprus, Korea, Pakistan, Somalia/Somaliland, and China/Taiwan. The three areas include:


1. How conflict affects educational access and provision.

Here, my students and I examine the barriers to education in conflict-affected contexts, including armed violence, depleted resources, gender and ethnic inequities, poverty, discrimination, and cultures of war. 


2. The effect of education on exacerbating or mitigating conflict. 

Here, my students and I focus on how in/tolerant curriculum, pedagogy, and educational policies serve to expand or contract conflict, including historical narratives of a superior ethnic/religious group, claims of universality, assimilationist policies, epistemological erasures, authoritarian pedagogy, and gestures of exclusion. 


3. Possible transformative responses to conflict and peace in and through education.

This area investigates the onto-epistemic, curricular, pedagogical, methodological, scholarly, and policy responses that have transformative potential for fostering peaceful, nonviolent, and just societies. Here, my students and I map new possibilities for peace through education. 


Second, the Lab examines the global governance of education, conflict, and peace: This strand looks into the role of various international organizations in using education as a modality to promote peace and international understanding. The strand focuses on the United Nations' universities and UNESCO particularly, including examination of the critical role of these organizations in transforming (or reproducing) unequal power relations (e.g., socioeconomic, gender, race/ethnicity, and North/South inequalities).


Third, the Lab explores the intersections of peace education (PE), social justice education (SJE), and global citizenship education (GCE). This strand of research studies the concurrent development of the fields of PE, SJE, and GCE throughout the 20th and 21st centuries with a focus on contexts, thematic areas, philosophical underpinnings, curricular arrangements, pedagogical practices, and policy implications in diverse settings. In particular, my students and I examine these fields (and other related fields, such as Multicultural Education, Human Rights Education, Conflict Resolution Education, Democratic Education, and Refugee Education) through postmodern, postcolonial, decolonial, and posthumanist lenses.


Fourth, the Lab conducts research into efforts to decolonize education around the world. This involves conceptual and empirical work examining "epistemic injustice" in curriculum and pedagogy. Specific projects have examined decoloniality and higher education pedagogy in Korea, and decolonizing peace education and global citizenship education curriculum internationally. 



​Funding for research in the Lab has been provided by the National Research Foundation of Korea, Korean Ministry of Education, UNESCO's Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding, Institute for Peace and Unification Studies (IPUS), Asian Universities Alliance, Seoul National University, University of Hargeisa (Somaliland), The Korea TESOL Society, and the Japanese Society of the Promotion of Science (sub-grant). See sample grants below.  

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Current Asian Universities Alliance Project (2026-2027): Peacebuilding, Gender, and Global Citizenship in the Curriculum of Kazakhstan and Pakistan (with Professor Naureen Durrani, Nazarbayev University)


Recent UNESCO-APCEIU project (2024-2026): Examining the Possibilities and Barriers to Global Citizenship Education (GCE) in the Primary School Curriculum of Punjab, Pakistan. This study critically analyzes the possibilities and barriers to integrating GCE curriculum and teaching in Punjab, Pakistan. Specifically, the study focuses on the potentiality of GCE curriculum integration into the primary school curriculum of three key subjects – English, General Knowledge, and Social Studies. Methodologically, the study involved a content analysis of Pakistan’s Single National Curriculum using a four-step process including a desk review of secondary data sources; field visits to Punjab for discussions with key education stakeholders; analysis of potential GCE entry points within the curriculum and teaching materials; and interpretation and formulation of recommendations. Implications and recommendations for theory, research, and practice are presented. [Results from this project available here.]


Institute for Peace and Unification Studies (IPUS) project (2023-2024): Building Peace through Higher Education in Divided and Conflict-Affected Societies: Insights from China/Taiwan, Cyprus, Korea, and Somalia/Somaliland --Universities and university educators have a critical role to play in supporting peacebuilding in all societies but especially in divided and conflict-affected contexts. Yet such work has rarely been examined. This research investigates the diverse approaches of higher education institutions and educators to support peacebuilding, from policy and philosophy to pedagogical practices, in divided and conflict-affected societies. Specifically, the research examines the work of university educators in higher education institutions in four divided and conflict-affected contexts: China/Taiwan, Cyprus, Korea, and Somalia/Somaliland. Data for the research was collected through qualitative interviews, document analysis, and observations with university educators across the four contexts. Findings highlight the challenges and opportunities that university educators and their institutions encounter as they work to support peacebuilding and conflict transformation in settings affected by conflict. The research concludes with a set of implications and recommendations for curriculum, teaching, and research in areas affected by conflict. [A podcast on the results of this research is here, and journal articles are available here, here (in English), and here (in Korean).]


UNESCO-APCEIU project (2022-2023): Development of a Common Curriculum Guide for Peace Education in Northeast Asia. The project, funded by UNESCO-ACPEIU, brought together more than a dozen experts and 50+ teachers from across China, Japan, and Korea to inform the writing of a common curriculum guidebook for educators teaching peace education across the region. The guide book was published (in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) in early 2024. Available here. 


University of Hargeisa project (2022-2023): Development of a new Master of Arts program in Education, Conflict and Peacebuilding at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Hargeisa. This funding supported the development of 10 courses for the new MA program, set to start matriculation in October 2024. 


SNU study (2021-2022): Prefigurative Politics and Pedagogy: Responding to Conflict and Building Tomorrow Today in Higher Education Classrooms -- Peace and social change in and through higher education has become an important educational development agenda (Burde, 20l6; King, 2013; Novelli & Smith, 2011). It has been included in human rights frameworks since 1948, and is emphasized in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet, there are few studies examining how university educators might be conceptualized as frontline peace workers and change makers. Furthermore, there are no studies as of yet investigating the contributions of university educators in Korea – both Korean and international faculty – toward teaching prefiguratively for a more socially just future society. This project then aims to critically examine how university educators in Korea conceptualize of and create opportunities to promote positive social change through education (e.g., through global citizenship education, peace education, human rights education, democratic education, unification education, etc.). Data was collected with university educators across Korea, and compared with similar data from university educators elsewhere. The comparative findings further contribute to generating best practices and theorizations on the transformative possibilities of higher education pedagogy to support peace and social justice today in Korea and beyond. [A journal article on this research is here.]


NRF study (2020-2022): Toward a Conflict-Sensitive Approach to Higher Education Pedagogy in Korea: A Focus on the Cases and Lessons Learned from University Educators in Afghanistan and Somaliland -- This project critically examines how university educators working in contexts affected by crisis and conflict understand, experience and respond to the challenges of conflict and peace in the classroom. The primary research questions include: 1. In what ways does higher education pedagogy serve to ameliorate or exacerbate conflict? 2. How does conflict affect teaching in higher education in conflict-affected contexts? 3. How might university academics be conceptualized as peace workers? 4. And, how could the practices of academics working with students in conflict-affected contexts inform and enhance global approaches to higher education, such as in Korea? The research employed a qualitative case study methodology with university educators in Afghanistan and Somaliland that gathers deep data — through interviews, observations, document analysis, digital artefacts, and participatory workshops — concerning how educators in conflict-affected contexts interpret and practice teaching in response to conflict and crisis. Findings culminated in the development of a conflict-sensitive toolkit for university educators in Korea (and elsewhere) who teach students from heterogenous backgrounds. [An op-ed on this research is here, and journal articles here, here, and here.]

 

Students

​There are currently several MA/PhD students in the Lab exploring these areas, and I welcome prospective MA/PhD students to contact me indicating their interest at kkester [at] snu.ac.kr (topics that MA/PhD students wish to explore should address one of the four themes above). 


[A student-led ECP Lab website is also available here.]


Postdoc

  1. Nicki Gerstner (2025- ). Higher Education Peacebuilding. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea.
  2. Yi Yu (2025- ). Peace Education in Conflict-Affected Societies. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (Visiting from Tsinghua University.
  3. Bomi Park (2023-2025). Peace and Unification Education Among North Korean Refugee Teachers and Students in South Korean Schools. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea.

 

Doctoral

  1. Cheryl Woelk (current PhD student). Evaluating the Impact of Peace Education in Northeast Asia: The Case of NARPI. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (Primary supervisor)
  2. Sunmi Ji (current PhD student). International Education and Peacebuilding inside UNESCO. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (Primary supervisor)
  3. Euna Lim (current PhD student). Global Citizenship Education in East Asia. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (Primary supervisor)
  4. Youngjae Chang (current PhD student). Blurred Boundaries: An Ethnographic Case Study of International School Teachers in Jeju-do, South Korea. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (Primary supervisor)
  5. Hyunjin Joo (current PhD student). Global Governance of Education through Data Platforms: The Case of the World Bank. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (Primary supervisor) 
  6. Mary Abura (current PhD student). International Student Experiences at a Korean University: Diversity and Inclusion in an Era of Internationalization. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (Primary supervisor) 
  7. Kexin Dong (exp. 2027). Chinese International Students' Experiences in Korean Higher Education. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (Primary supervisor)  
  8. Rira Seo (2026). The “Three Faces” of Refugee Education in the Korean Context: A Case Study of Afghan Children from Operation Miracle. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (Primary supervisor)
  9. Nicki Gerstner (2025). Collaborative Partnerships for Peacebuilding through Higher Education: The Case of a Somaliland-UK University Partnership. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (Primary supervisor)
  10. Banu Kaldaeva (2023). The Concept of Women in Kazakh Philosophy: Exploring the Work of Betty A Reardon in Conversation with Kazakh Philosophers. Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. Almaty, Kazakhstan. (External advisor) 


Masters

  1. Ranhee Kwon (exp. 2027). Peace Education. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. 
  2. Hyuna Jo (2026). A Decolonial Perspective on KOICA’s Overseas Dispatched Teachers’ Program: Evidence from Botswana. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea.
  3. Hee Kyung Park (2026). Critical Multicultural Education. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea.
  4. Dahyun Kim (2026). Looking for Peace in the Revised 2022 Social Studies National Curriculum. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea.
  5. Sinhye Kim (2026). Critical Analysis of Lower Secondary Geography Education in Uganda: From the Perspective of Geocapabilities. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea.
  6. Kiwoong Park (2024). A Qualitative Case Study on Rwandan Peace Educators' Perceptions and Experience of Educational Technology. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea.
  7. Yoosun Na (2024). An Ecological Approach to the Formation of Overseas Korean School Teachers' Professional Identities: Focusing on P School Teachers. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea.
  8. Isla Shin (2024). The Roles of an NGO in Providing Educational Opportunities for ‘Aged-Out’ Young Adults in South Korea. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. 
  9. Nakyeom Heo (2023). The Limitations and Possibilities of Korean Grassroots Peace Education: A Case Study of a Teachers’ Peace Education Learning Group. Seoul National  University. Seoul, Korea.
  10. Inae Shin (2023). The Meaning of School to Elementary Schoolchildren and their Refugee Parents: The Case of a Refugee Community in Itaewon, Seoul. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. 
  11. Euna Lim (2022). Critical Perspectives on Multicultural Education in Korea. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. 
  12. Ana Catalina Velasco (2021). Building Colombia's National Memory Museum: Implications for Non-Formal Education and Culture of Peace. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea.
  13. Amina Hamud (2017). The Traditional Peacebuilding Practices in Somaliland: Weaknesses and Strengths. University of Hargeisa. Hargeisa, Somaliland. 
  14. Ahmed Osman Jama (2017). Stabilizing Southern Somalia: The Role of AMISOM in Restoring Peace and Stability. University of Hargeisa. Hargeisa, Somaliland.
  15. Kalthoum Ali Ahmed (2015). Civic and Citizenship Education in Somaliland. University of Hargeisa. Hargeisa, Somaliland.


Bachelors

  1. Dohwee Kim (current BA student). TBD. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (Primary supervisor)
  2. Hyerin Cho (current BA student). TBD. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (Primary supervisor)
  3. Selina Komers (2017). Poststructural Democratic Education? Assessing the Possibilities of a Non-Individualistic, Non-Instrumental, Action-Oriented Democratic Education. University of Cambridge. Cambridge, UK.
  4. Nomisha Kurian (2017). Voices from the Global South: Forms of Violence Embedded Within Peace Education. University of Cambridge. Cambridge, UK. 
  5. Gabi Lapedus (2017). Becoming Jewish: A Retrospective Case Study on the Influence of Israel Tour on Jewish Identity Formation. University of Cambridge. Cambridge, UK.
  6. Victoria Barker (2017). “It’s all getting a bit messy”: Religious Identities and Expression in an Elite British University. University of Cambridge. Cambridge, UK. 
  7. Zak Ghazi-Torbati (2017). A Performative Autoethnography of Masculinity and Sexuality in Education. University of Cambridge. Cambridge, UK.
  8. Alex Greenwood (2016). From the Inside Out: British Pupils’ Perspectives on Education and the ‘Refugee Crisis’. University of Cambridge. Cambridge, UK. 
  9. Arthur Hannah (2016). Deconstructing Peace Pedagogies in Higher Education: A Study of Peace Educators at a UN University. University of Cambridge. Cambridge, UK.
  10. Annabel Parkinson (2015). Competing Paradigms for Basic Education: Human Capital and Human Capabilities and What They Mean for the World Bank and UNESCO. University of Cambridge. Cambridge, UK.

 

Doctoral (examiner)

  1. Seo Hee Chang (exp. 2027). Reconceptualizing the Effectiveness of Girls’ Education Programs in Developing Countries: A Capability Approach Perspective. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. 
  2. Eunhye Grace Park (exp. 2027). From Climate Inquiry to Global Citizenship: A Case Study of a Multinational Science Camp in ASEAN+3. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea.
  3. Hyunkyung Hwang (exp. 2026). Global Citizenship Education in South Korea: A Foucauldian Analysis of Neoliberal Governmentality, Media Discourses, and Practitioner Perspectives. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea.
  4. Cheng-Hui Liu (exp. 2026). Building an Alternative Global Citizenship Education Teacher Professional Development Approach: Applying Taiwanese Indigenous Epistemology. University of Glasgow. Glasgow, Scotland. (External examiner)
  5. Ayoung Moon (2025). Unlearning Division, Performing Peace: A Phenomenological Study of PEACEMOMO’s De-Division Peace Education. University for Peace. San Jose, Costa Rica. (External examiner for candidacy exam)
  6. Hanne Tjersland (2024). Unfolding Embodied Peaces through Dance and Movement: Open Floor Conscious Dance and Movement Practice as a Transrational Resource for Peace. Jaume 1 University. Castellon de la Plana, Spain. (External examiner)
  7. Jungeun Kim (2024). Memory Struggle: A Story of Collective Learning on French Colonialism, Pied-noir, and Construction of the Memories. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea.
  8. Gahyung Kim (2024). Nonformal Education for Development in Korea. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea.
  9. Dana Kristiawan (2022). English Language Education and Peace Education in Indonesia: A Framework of Materials Development for Islamic Secondary Schools. University of Newcastle. Newcastle, Australia. (External examiner)
  10. Rob Skinner (2022). Reproducing or Challenging Power Relations? A Qualitative Study of the Field of Peace Education in Colombia. University of Birmingham. Birmingham, UK. (External examiner)
  11. Eunhye Lee (2022). Capability-Based Evaluation Framework for Basic Education Quality. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (Chair)
  12. Sister Mumbua Simon (2021). The Confluence of Catholic Social Teaching and Peace Education in the Catholic University of East Africa, Kenya: Signs, Prospects and Implications. United Nations University for Peace. San Jose, Costa Rica. (External examiner)
  13. Eva Marie Wang (2021). Rethinking International Scholarships as Development Aid: A Postcolonial Approach. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (Vice-Chair)
  14. Sarah Yeo (2020). Refugee Education in a Thai-Myanmar Refugee Camp: A Freirean Analysis. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (Vice-Chair) [Sarah was awarded the best doctoral dissertation in Korea for 2020-2021 by the Korean Educational Research Association.]


Masters (examiner)

  1. Iijoo Min (exp. 2026). A Critical Review of Global Citizenship Education: Reconstructing Beyond Pedagogy for a Sustainable Future. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. 
  2. Sangmin Jeon (exp. 2026). Teaching Social Injustice and Decolonial Reflection in Global Citizenship Education:  A Study on South Korean High School Teachers’ Experiences Based on ‘Asia as Method’. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea.
  3. Ruby Dolgomaa (exp. 2026). Developmental and Learning Needs of Children Living in the Slums of Ulaanbaatar City and the Participation of Voluntary Organizations. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (external examiner for International Studies Department)
  4. Soyun Kim (exp. 2026). Neocolonial Aspects in Environmental Education: A Case Study of the Sambava Region, Madagascar. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea.
  5. Soyeon Park (2025). Forestry in Korea: Sociopolitical Perspectives. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (external examiner for Geography Department)
  6. Hyewon Hong (2023). A Study on Leadership for Critical Multicultural Education: The Case of Principals of Multicultural Education Policy Schools in Korea. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea.
  7. Hyesun Wang (2023). Teachers’ Perceptions and Practice on Global Citizenship Education for Multicultural Students. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. 
  8. Jicheol Yang (2023). Impact of a Youth Leadership Program on Empowerment and Community Participation: Focusing on SALUTE Program in Towerville, Philippines. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (Chair)
  9. Juhee Kim (2022). A Phenomenological Study on the Status of Cambodian Teachers after the Outbreak of COVID-19. Seoul National University. Seoul, Korea. (Chair) 
  10. Eun Young Oh (2021). After Liberation (1945): Korean Patriarchy and Women’s Identity. University of Innsbruck. Innsbruck, Austria. (External examiner)
  11. Katharine Zaun (2020). The Global Poetry Project: A Study in Cultivating Self-Awareness, Intercultural Understanding, and Belonging through Poetry. United Nations University for Peace. San Jose, Costa Rica. (External examiner)
  12. Heidi Faith Milner (2019). A Peace Education Curriculum to Address Intersectional Oppression in Shawano, Wisconsin. United Nations University for Peace. San Jose, Costa Rica. (External examiner)

 

Associated networks: 

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Links to recent talks:
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