Since I know I need to get a master’s degree in peace studies to work in the sector\u2014an MA is the entry level qualification\u2014I have booked onto various university open days to shop around for where to do one.\u00a0 My undergraduate degree will be with the Open University but they have nothing like a Peace Studies MA so they cannot help me.<\/p>\n
I know about Coventry’s link to peace firstly because of knowing the history of the city in World War 2 and how it was bombed and the stories surrounding that, code breaking and whether Winston Churchill knew it was coming or not.\u00a0 Secondly, through being in Coventry House<\/a> (properly, The House of the Resurgent City and Cathedral Church of St Michael and all Angels at Coventry<\/em>) at school, we knew the history of the city’s reaction to the bombing, how it became a city of peace and reconciliation, twinned with the likes of Stalingrad, Dresden, Warsaw and Arnhem and other war-ravaged cities<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hence I expected Coventry University’s peace studies department to be large, very active, extensive, impressive and prestigious.<\/p>\n The open day for postgraduates (13th June 2015) began with a presentation where they went on about being a “modern university” which I realised is code for “we were a polytechnic”.\u00a0 They were spinning that into a good thing, but it did not work.\u00a0 Much of this talk was waffle, bullshit and FUD<\/a>.\u00a0 The campus is a building site and they were at lengths to say this was a good thing and it would continue for some years.\u00a0 Not a good thing for students during those years, however.<\/p>\n They boasted they were aware of the need for, but do not have, a post-graduate centre.\u00a0 Not a clever thing to say on post-graduate open day.<\/p>\n They did say they do have a\u2014note the singular ‘a’\u2014research expert.\u00a0 Just the one.<\/p>\n Attendance at a second lecture entitled “funding” later in the day was a waste of an hour.\u00a0 It was exactly the same welcome presentation I saw in the morning.\u00a0 Putting on the same presentation twice under two different names does not count as two different presentations.\u00a0 That was really annoying since it was necessary to hang around to wait for the second one.\u00a0 And it was of no use, just saying “See the gov.uk web site”.<\/p>\n There was a table for the Peace Studies department.\u00a0 They packed up at lunchtime so when I went back with more questions for them\u2026 they had gone.\u00a0 Since my discussion with them in the morning about their two (just the two) peace-related MAs told me little more than one of them was being dropped, I can only conclude Coventry University has ceased to be interested in peace studies.<\/p>\n The two MAs they do are focussed on people working in the field on the ground, and for one of them you have to have significant work experience.\u00a0 So, neither are suitable for what I want.<\/p>\n It would have been nice to see the library.\u00a0 It was closed.\u00a0 On an Open Day.\u00a0 On a Saturday.\u00a0 In exam season (mid-June).<\/p>\n I was left with the feeling that Coventry University is focussed on growth, remodelling streets, putting up buildings and not at all interested in students.<\/p>\n Such a shame.\u00a0 I had such high hopes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Since I know I need to get a master’s degree in peace studies to work in the sector\u2014an MA is the entry level qualification\u2014I have booked onto various university open days to shop around for where to do one.\u00a0 My … Continue reading