What We Are

InnPeace is an inter-departmental and inter-faculty research platform at the University of Innsbruck, embedded in the university's research focus area FSP "Cultural Encounters – Cultural Conflicts.". We bring together researchers across disciplines, departments, and career stages who take seriously the entangled questions of peace, violence, and conflict .

The centre operates under the responsibility of the rectorate and works in close cooperation with participating faculties and departments. Its purpose is to foster research and to create the conditions in which rigorous, collaborative inquiry can happen.

What We Do

We support and coordinate research in the field of peace and conflict studies at both an internal and internationally visible level. In practice, this means:

Creating spaces for exchange.

From reading groups and brownbag discussions to workshops and international conferences: We organise events where ideas can be tested, challenged, and developed together.

Building research capacity. 

We co-develop joint research projects and support funding applications, working with researchers at all stages of their careers.

Nurturing research groups. 

Smaller thematic research groups form the core of our scientific work. Initiated and led by core members, they develop around shared research questions and grow into projects, grant applications, and publications.

Supporting the next generation. 

In cooperation with UIBK doctoral colleges and graduate programmes, we contribute to doctoral and post-doctoral training in the field, recognising that some of the most generative research questions come from those early in their academic journey.

Membership

InnPeace draws its strength from the diversity of its members and their research. We distinguish between two categories:

Core Members: Researchers with substantial, ongoing activity in peace and conflict studies, including peer-reviewed publications or active funded projects

Associate Members & Collaborators: Individuals contributing to centre activities through events, outreach, or collaborative projects

Applications for membership can be submitted by candidates directly or proposed by an existing core member. The Steering Committee reviews the applications.

How We Are Organised 

InnPeace is led by a Speaker and a Deputy/Co-Speaker, elected by core members for a term of five years. The two speakers come from different departments and, where possible, different faculties, to reflect the genuinely interdisciplinary character of the centre.

Strategic decisions rest with a Steering Committee of three to four core members drawn from at least two departments, alongside one representative of doctoral students and the Head or Deputy Head of the research platform. The committee is elected for three-year terms and works in close coordination with the Speaker.

This structure is deliberate: decisions at InnPeace are collective, and the centre's direction is shaped by the breadth of its membership rather than any single voice. find out more

For questions about membership or collaboration, please contact us at innpeace@uibk.ac.at