Arcadia University, East African Community Open Nyerere Centre for Peace Research in Arusha, Tanzania.

GLENSIDE, Pa. -- Representatives from Arcadia University and the East African Community jointly opened the Nyerere Centre for Peace Research (http://www.arcadia.edu/news/default.aspx?id=4301) today in Arusha, Tanzania. The Centre is an onsite research facility to build capacity for regional peace and conflict resolution, with projects including management of refugees, a regional early warning system, and security training.

The East African Community: EAC is the regional intergovernmental organisation of the Republics of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda. Its headquarters are located in Arusha, Tanzania. The EAC aims at widening and deepening cooperation among the partner states in political, economic and social fields for their mutual benefit.

Arcadia University: Located in Glenside, Pa., Arcadia is a nationally recognized leader in international education. "Warren Haffar and students in the Master of Arts in International Peace and Conflict Resolution (http://www.arcadia.edu/academic/default.aspx?id=1093) program have been working for more than a year to establish the Centre," said Arcadia President Jerry Greiner. "We have opportunities to study how the various communities are working to undertake change and help find solutions to some of the roadblocks to change." Dr. Warren Haffar directs the IPCR program and is Arcadia's Associate Dean for Internationalization.

In addition to having Arcadia students and faculty on the ground in Arusha, students on both continents will be working collaboratively via the University's new interactive technology, using Wimba software to create "live classrooms" and share project-based research.

Mission: The Nyerere Centre for Peace Research is a joint effort of the East African Community (EAC) and Arcadia University that provides an academic resource to the member states of the EAC. Engaging in policy research and analysis, data collection and training, the Centre will support decision-makers, Civil Society Organisations and the community to build capacity and promote the peaceful settlement of conflict in the region. Projects and programmes link theory and practice and carry out basic and applied research on issues relevant to peace building and conflict resolution.

Named after Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the Centre hopes to embrace and continue Nyerere's vision of peace, freedom and democratic transformation.

Location: The Nyerere Centre for Peace Research is located at the site of the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, and housed in the Princess Margaret House on the former State House Compound (Barabara ya Afrika Mashariki).

Arcadia is a top-ranked private university in metropolitan Philadelphia offering bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. More than 3,700 students choose from 75 fields of study. U.S. News & World Report ranks Arcadia University 22nd among master's universities in the North and recognizes it as one of the top 20 study abroad programs in the nation. Arcadia University promises a distinctively global, integrative and personal learning experience that prepares students to contribute and prosper in a diverse and dynamic world.