Conflict, Postconflict, and the Functions of the University: Lessons from Colombia and other Armed Conflicts Author: Ivan Francisco Pacheco Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/3407 This work is posted on eScholarship@BC, Boston College University Libraries. Boston College Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, 2013 Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. BOSTON COLLEGE Lynch School of Education Department of Educational Administration and Higher Education Program in Higher Education CONFLICT, POSTCONFLICT, AND THE FUNCTIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY: LESSONS FROM COLOMBIA AND OTHER ARMED CONFLICTS Dissertation by IVAN FRANCISCO PACHECO Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy May, 2013 ! © Copyright by IVAN FRANCISCO PACHECO 2013 ! ! Conflict, Postconflict, and the Functions of Higher Education: Lessons from Colombia and other Armed Conflicts Dissertation by: Iván Francisco Pacheco Dissertation Director: Philip G. Altbach Abstract “Education and conflict” has emerged as a new field of study during the last two decades. However, higher education is still relatively absent from this debate as most of the research has focused on primary and non-formal education. This dissertation is an exploratory qualitative study on the potential role of higher education in peacebuilding processes. The conceptual framework for the study is a taxonomy of the functions of higher education designed by the author. The questions guiding the dissertation are: 1) What can we learn about the role of higher education in conflict and postconflict from the experience of countries that have suffered internal conflicts in the last century? 2) How are universities in Colombia affected by the ongoing armed conflict in the country? 3) How can Colombian higher education contribute to build sustainable peace in the country? ! ! First, based on secondary sources, the dissertation explores seven armed conflicts that took place during the twentieth century. Then, the focus turns to the Colombian case. The research incorporates the analysis of 23 semi-structured interviews, published and unpublished documents, institutional websites, and government statistics, among others. In most of the conflicts included in the international overview, Higher education institutions (HEIs) played instrumental roles during the conflict and the postconflict. Yet, those roles were not always conducive for peacebuilding. Universities, professors and students have been affected by the conflict, have participated in it, and sometimes, have been used by the combating parties for logistical purposes or to promote an ideology. In contrast, delegating a peacebuilding role to higher education is a relatively new phenomenon. Armed conflict in Colombia tends to affect public HEIs more than private ones. Public and private HEIs in Colombia have participated in peacebuilding activities. Sometimes they collaborated with government agencies and NGOs; other times, they worked independently. The contribution of higher education to peacebuilding goes beyond its traditional teaching function and includes many other functions that are hardly mentioned in peacebuilding literature. ! ! A Yolanda y Alfredo, a Danielle, a Mateo. Mi origen, mi centro, el futuro. ! ! ! "! Table of Contents Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... v List of Abbreviations and Acronyms ............................................................................. vi Chapter 1. Introduction .................................................................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem: The Elephant in the Room .................................................. 3 Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................................... 5 Research Questions ......................................................................................................... 5 Importance of the study .................................................................................................. 6 Selection of Countries ..................................................................................................... 9 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................. 10 Method .......................................................................................................................... 12 Definitions..................................................................................................................... 13 Limitations .................................................................................................................... 17 Structure of the Dissertation ......................................................................................... 21 Chapter Two. Literature Review .................................................................................. 24 Peacemaking, Peacekeeping, Peacebuilding ................................................................. 24 The Field of Education and Conflict ............................................................................. 28 Higher Education and Conflict ..................................................................................... 38 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 48 Chapter Three: Methodology ....................................................................................... 50 Research Strategy .......................................................................................................... 51 Interpretative Approach ................................................................................................ 52 Research Design ............................................................................................................ 54 Data Collection ............................................................................................................. 57 Access ........................................................................................................................... 65 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................ 67 Ethical Issues ................................................................................................................ 67 Researcher’s Role ......................................................................................................... 69 Validity and Reliability ................................................................................................. 70 Personal Background .................................................................................................... 71 Chapter Four: Conceptual Framework ....................................................................... 74 The Importance of a Taxonomy .................................................................................... 75 Definition of Function................................................................................................... 76 The Functions of Higher Education .............................................................................. 78 Other Functions of Higher Education ........................................................................... 93 A Taxonomy of Functions of Higher Education ......................................................... 100 Functions of Higher Education in Conflict Societies ................................................. 103 ! ! ""! Characteristics of this Taxonomy ............................................................................... 105 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 107 Chapter Five: The Two World Wars and the Spanish Civil War ........................... 110 World War I ................................................................................................................ 112 The Spanish Civil War: A Proxy War in the Interbellum ........................................... 124 World War II ............................................................................................................... 133 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 144 Chapter Six. The Cold War: Cuba and Nicaragua ................................................... 149 The Cuban Revolution ................................................................................................ 149 Nicaragua: Somocistas, Sandinistas, Contras, and the University .............................. 162 Conclusions ................................................................................................................. 176 Chapter Seven: Post Cold War ................................................................................... 179 Rwanda: Genocide and the Metamorphoses of the National University of Rwanda (NUR) ......................................................................................................................... 179 Kosovo: A Balkan Tale of Two Universities .............................................................