9:15 - 9:30

Arrival and registration: continental breakfast (8:45 - 9:15)

Welcome and Introduction

- Professor Robert C. Lieberman, Interim Dean, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University

- Greg Dyke, Chancellor, University of York

Session 1: Education, Conflict and Fragility: Setting the Scene

Fragile states are often marked by protracted civil conflict where poor governance and local capacities, failing law and order and the indiscriminate use of force against civilians constitute only some of the factors that prevent children attending school and cripple the education system. Armed conflict in the world’s poorest states is one of biggest challenges towards achieving Education for All. Education is not a core­­ priority in international responses to conflict and crises, receiving around 2% of humanitarian aid.

The aim of this session is to set the scene for the discussion to follow, by examining the challenges and opportunities for education in specific contexts of fragility. Participants will explore the processes through which education systems contribute to promoting or preventing conflict, especially at the local level. They will reflect on their experiences of the complex and critical processes of post-crisis education reconstruction.

9:30 - 11:00

Chair: Professor Dirk Salomons, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University

Keynote speaker: Professor Alan Smith, UNESCO Chair, University of Ulster

Panel discussion

• Dr Tejendra Pherali (Nepal), Liverpool John Moores University
• Dr Alfred Babo (The Ivory Coast), Smith College
• Dr Thein Lwin (Burma/Myanmar), Education Committee, National League for Democracy 
• Dr Hadeel Qazzar (Palestine), Integrity Action Canada 

Each panellist will speak for 10 minutes and Q&A will follow

11:00 – 11:15

 Coffee break

Session 2: Peacebuilding in Education

Education and peacebuilding are closely interlinked. While basic education assistance can be central in helping conflict-affected states during the early stages of transition out of violence, there is a need for a more comprehensive understanding of its role in building peace at the national, sub-national and especially at the community level.

Session 2 will bring researchers, practitioners and policy-makers together to build a solid evidence base regarding the transformative role education can play in post-war recovery. Examples of on-the-ground peacebuilding programmes in education and innovative teaching methods, classroom processes and community-based initiatives will enable participants to go beyond the scope of emergency education to address deep-rooted social challenges and underlying factors contributing to conflict.

11:15 - 12:45

Chair: Monisha Bajaj, Associate Professor, International & Comparative Education, Teachers College, Columbia University  

Speakers:

12:45 - 14:00

Lunch (provided for all participants)

Session 3: Long-term Recovery and Higher Education

When the rebuilding of an education system following conflict begins, it is often in an environment marked by high levels of political instability and uncertainty, chronic financing deficits, low levels of capacity and teacher shortages. Long-term recovery requires locally inspired initiatives to ensure responsiveness of education systems to local conditions, as well as the alignment of education reconstruction with social and economic development.

This session will bring participants together in a discussion of long-term strategies linking reconstruction in education with development so as to improve the quality of life for citizens and eventually provide a clearly visible peace dividend. There will be a special focus on higher education and its role in long-term recovery as well as on girls’ education as a catalyst for development.

14:00 - 15:30

Chair: Paul Smith, Director USA, British Council

Keynote speaker: Dr Allan Goodman, President, Institute of International Education

Panel discussion

• Dr Karim El Mufti (Lebanon), Beirut Arab University
• Dr Assem Farress (Syria), American University
• Dr Mazin B. Abdil (Iraq)
• Dr Abdul Kareem Al Obedy (Iraq)
• Dr Sami Khashkhusha (Libya), University of Tripoli 

Each panellist will speak for 10 minutes and Q&A will follow

15:30 -  16:00

Break

Session 4 (Plenary Session): Building on Lessons Learnt: Future Trajectories

In creating sustainable solutions to intractable violent conflicts and weak disaster response capacities, it is important to recognise that education has a central role to play within wider reforms in international policy and practice. By gathering lessons learnt, this session will bring together conference participants from different backgrounds to fill the gap between policy and practice by identifying effective approaches to rebuilding education systems emerging from conflict which are context-sensitive but at the same time can be applied across a range of country contexts.

16:00 - 17:00

Chair: Professor Sultan Barakat, Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit, University of York

Presentation of the INEE Tool Kit for Education and Fragility:

• Carine Allaf, Lecturer, Teachers College, Columbia University: INEE Guidance Note on Conflict-Sensitive Education

• Nirina Kiplagat, Programme Specialist, UN Inter-Agency Framework Team for Preventive Action: Guiding Principles and Diagnostic Tool on Conflict Sensitive Education

• Alex Shoebridge, Joint UNDP/DPA Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention

Open Discussion on Future Trajectories 

18:00 -  19:30

 Evening Reception (invite only)

Day 2: Tuesday 16 April  -  invite-only

9:30 - 11:30

Follow-up Session: Roundtable Discussion  

The aim of this session is to bring together key participants to identify a research agenda and dissemination plan. The input from fragile state participants will be particularly important.

Chaired by Sultan Barakat and Frank Hardman, University of York