Trudeau Centre for Peace, Conflict and Justice
Established in 2001, the Trudeau Centre is home to the multidisciplinary undergraduate program Peace, Conflict and Justice Studies (PCJ), which attracts top-achieving students who go on to take positions in prominent international organizations such as the United Nations, work on social justice issues through non-governmental organizations, and pursue graduate degrees in law and social science.
Established in 2001, the Trudeau Centre is home to a multidisciplinary undergraduate program - Peace, Conflict and Justice Studies (PCJ) - which attracts top-achieving students who go on to take positions in prominent international organizations such as the United Nations, work on social justice issues through non-governmental organizations, and pursue graduate degrees in law and social sciences.
Students work within and beyond the traditional purview of international affairs, studying interstate war as well as major conflict inside countries, including revolution, insurgency, ethnic strife, guerrilla war, terrorism, and genocide. They seek to identify the deep causes of this strife—from poverty, resource scarcity, and weapons proliferation to competing claims for justice and failures of foreign-policy decision making. In doing so, PCJ students come to understand and evaluate the prolonged consequences of exposure to conflict and political violence.
The Centre offers PCJ students the opportunity to engage beyond the classroom through peer-to-peer mentorship programming, the Fellows Seminar series, and specific Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives, such as the Indigenous Cultural Competency Training (ICCT) and the Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity (ARCDO) seminars among others. The Centre also collaborate with several NGOs throughout the Greater Toronto Area to offer individual internships during the school year that build on the program’s service learning course (PCJ362H) and enhance the experiential learning of PCJ students. Active participation in Trudeau Centre programs and events is an essential part of being a member of the PCJ community and an important complement to our academic curriculum.
The Trudeau Centre can count on the invaluable support of its Advisory Board, whose members provide strategic advice to the Director of the Trudeau Centre on the academic mission and help to increase the Trudeau Centre’s visibility and presence in the U of T community and in civil society. The Board also collaborates to create opportunities for mentorships, partnerships, and internships with organizations where Board members are connected, and seeks to build key relationships with individuals, foundations and corporations to advance and implement fundraising goals that support the priorities of the Trudeau Centre.
A message from the Director
The Trudeau Centre for Peace, Conflict and Justice is focused on developing future leaders passionate about addressing challenges related to peace, conflict and justice – some of the most important questions of our time.
The program is interdisciplinary in orientation, seeking to combine the best insights from across disciplines and across the university in building an understanding of the nature and causes of conflicts and injustice in the world – and, most importantly, possible solutions. The PCJ program includes a rigorous and diverse set of core courses that spans disciplines, and seeks to guide students in assembling an overall program of study that is coherent and focused – but which also speaks to each student’s unique interests, passions and skills. This includes academic and professional experience outside of the classroom and beyond Canada, as the program has built relationships with local nongovernmental organizations, sponsored field trips in Ontario, sent students abroad for research and “living classroom” activities and partnered with organizations for internship opportunities so that students can immerse themselves in potential careers.
While the PCJ programs is dedicated to a robust and unique academic program, it is equally about building a diverse and engaged community in which students can grow as individuals, as members of a community and as future leaders. The program seeks to build bonds between students – and between students and faculty – through events outside of the classroom, while pushing students to confront new points of view, new experiences and new ways of engaging with the world. The student society leads these efforts through retreats, social activities, academic events and an annual student conference on a topic selected by the students themselves. Much of the best learning in the program comes from building lasting relationships with equally passionate and creative peers, with a shared commitment to addressing challenges of peace, conflict and justice in Canada and around the world.
I am excited to welcome our new students. I encourage you to challenge yourselves, to take risks and to take advantage of all that the program has to offer.
Paola Salardi
Director, Trudeau Centre for Peace, Conflict and Justice
