Reflections on learning post-retirement - a year at the UPEACE : Marjan Montazemi

I first came across the University for Peace (UN-mandated) (UPEACE) 18 years ago when I was working with a foundation in Toronto, Canada. At the time, we collaborated on a conference engaging the diaspora communities and their role in development and peace. Since then, I sometimes daydreamed about studying at UPEACE one day. Fast forward a few years, by that time, I had worked with UNICEF for 14 years and was contemplating taking early retirement. Over the years, having been involved in co-designing and coordinating peacebuilding initiatives, including at UNICEF, I became increasingly interested in better understanding the role of young people in shaping narratives of peace. As I was contemplating my options post-UNICEF, I saw going back to a learning environment, such as the UPEACE, as having multiple benefits: a) learning about theories of peace; b) reflecting on years of peace practice inside and outside of the UN system; c) hearing the views of young people about the state of peace and conflict in the world (I had rightfully anticipated that most students would be much younger than me ☺); d) contemplating a career in academia, after years of activism and managing people and programs, could I shift in the last mile left of my career to teaching and research?

I enrolled at the UPEACE for the academic year 2022/2023. I left UNICEF in July 2022 and started my courses in August of the same year and graduated in April 2024, with a Master’s in International Peace Studies, after finishing my thesis on the practice of emancipatory peace in Bosnia Herzegovina that involved field research in 2023. Was this experience worthwhile? Certainly! For me, this year of learning on a small and beautiful campus amid nature, with a small cohort of students from different countries, a faculty that encouraged critical thinking, valued the experience and contributions of students, connecting theories and practice, was such a positive experience. I also realized how much I had craved learning as I was immersed previously in day-to-day management with little time for reflection. I was positively surprised to find out that I had become more patient and enjoyed research and writing more than I had expected. As our classes were interactive, I enjoyed hearing the views, concerns, and solutions offered by fellow students, who were mostly in their twenties and thirties. In turn, I was encouraged by them to share my practical experiences from the field and reflections on working with the UN and NGOs. It was interesting for me to see that the UN is still so appealing as a possible employer for this generation. I had many conversations with many students from across geographies on career pathways to the UN. I even connected the UPEACE student association with UNICEF to explore internship opportunities. Although leaving a hectic job due to exhaustion for an intensive academic year of learning may have seemed counter-intuitive to some, it ended up being an energizing and rejuvenating experience for me.

About the University for Peace (the main campus is in Costa Rica but they have offices in different parts of the world): “Created in pursuance of UN General Assembly Resolution 35/55 in 1980, UPEACE has been training leaders for peace for the past four decades. It is a unique global academic institution with over 6,000 Alumni hailing from more than 120 nations working for peace on a global scale.” They offer a range of full-time and part-time learning opportunities, graduate studies in fields related to peace but also online and offline certificate and executive education programs. The United Nations staff are eligible for reduced enrolment fees.
 

A corner of the UPEACE campus