The University for Peace (UPeace) founded by the United Nations general assembly has graduated Seventy-nine students from Somalia and five other countries pledging to use their knowledge and skills to address the challenges facing their nations and the world.
The event marked UPEACE’s fourth graduation ceremony in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, George Conway, in his remarks to the graduates urged them to be ambassadors for peace, champions of development, and advocates of human rights.
The ceremony honoured 25 doctoral and 54 master’s graduates, including five women – three doctoral and two master’s graduates. In addition to Somalia, the graduates hailed from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The United Nations established the university of peace in 1980 which focus areas include conflict prevention, human security, human rights, environmental security and post-conflict rehabilitation. In Somalia, it also offers specialised post-graduate programmes with a focus on governance, economic development, peacebuilding, conflict prevention, human rights, environment, disaster resilience and post-conflict resolution.
The University for Peace, headquartered in Costa Rica, initiated its Somalia programme in 2018. UPEACE will provide the technical expertise and research support necessary to ensure that Somalia’s contribution to the UN Security Council leaves an enduring legacy.
Rector of the University for Peace, Francisco Rojas Aravena, during his keynote speech said among the graduates from the UPEACE Mogadishu campus is Somalia’s president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
UPEACE Somalia is equipping its graduates with specific knowledge and skills necessary for Somalia, looking towards its future to drive positive change and foster development in support of Somalia’s national priorities, and investment in knowledge in human capital is in the best interest.
60 more student are expected to receive full scholarship which will enable their learning process at UPEACE.
