Building Peace Before Conflict: Regionalization of Higher Education as Knowledge Diplomacy

• In Event: Poster Session 5
  In Poster Session: Building Peace Before Conflict: Regionalization of Higher Education as Knowledge Diplomacy

Proposal

In divided and uncertain times, universities are asked to contribute beyond teaching and research: they are expected to foster the conditions for peace. Yet, peace education discussions usually remain confined to classrooms or local communities. This paper argues that regional cooperation in higher education operates at another level, quietly shaping the foundations for cross-border peace. Regionalization can be seen as "preventative medicine": by cultivating cooperation and mutual understanding before tensions escalate, it strengthens society’s “immune system” against conflict. Importantly, it brings together students and academics, many of whom will become future leaders, and allows them to form friendships and professional ties across borders. These early bonds make tomorrow’s policymakers and professionals less likely to treat each other as adversaries and more likely to seek common ground during political strain.

To conceptualize this peace-building role, the paper combines insights from knowledge diplomacy and peace education. From the former, I take the emphasis on reciprocity, mutual benefit, and the public good (Knight, 2015). From the latter, I adapt the 4Rs framework: Recognition, Redistribution, Representation, and Reconciliation (Novelli, Lopes Cardozo, & Smith, 2015), which highlights how education contributes to social justice in conflict-affected contexts. By adding “Reciprocity” as a guiding principle, I propose a “4Rs+Reciprocity” framework for evaluating whether regional initiatives advance cohesion and justice or reproduce hierarchy and exclusion.

Each dimension highlights different mechanisms. Recognition emphasizes credit transfer and qualification systems that reduce administrative friction, as seen in the ASEAN Credit Transfer System. Redistribution points to mobility scholarships and capacity-building funds that broaden opportunities for under-resourced institutions. Representation focuses on quality assurance networks such as AUN-QA, which can democratize standard-setting if governance is inclusive. Reconciliation underscores joint degrees, staff exchanges, and collaborative curricula that normalize cooperation, much as Erasmus+ has supported European identity. Finally, Reciprocity questions whether cooperation is balanced and mutually beneficial, examining indicators such as two-way mobility, equitable co-authorship in joint research, and whether regional projects are co-funded rather than donor-driven.

The framework also specifies conditions under which regionalization contributes positively. Instruments are most peace-supportive when transparent, inclusive, and explicitly designed to lower barriers like finance, language, or visa restrictions. They risk reinforcing inequality when dominated by elite universities, driven by rankings, or when recognition practices remain opaque. These conditions reveal that regionalization is not a neutral technical exercise but a political process with uneven outcomes.

The paper contributes in three ways. Theoretically, the paper reframes regionalization as peace-enabling infrastructure, bridging higher education governance and peace education. Analytically, it offers indicators and typologies for future empirical testing. Practically, it proposes design principles: transparency, equitable redistribution, inclusive governance, and barrier-reducing exchange, which can help policymakers and universities ensure regional higher education plays a constructive role in peacebuilding.

Seen in this light, regionalization is not merely policy harmonization but a preventative measure that embeds cooperation, friendships, and professional ties into academic careers. By reframing higher education in this way, the paper calls for greater attention to how cross-border cooperation can strengthen peace before conflict begins.

Author

• Phuong Thanh Nguyen, The University of Tokyo