In June, AVReQ hosted a meaningful exchange with representatives of the European Wasatia Graduate School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, based at Europa University Flensburg. The meeting, held in Stellenbosch, marks the beginning of what both institutions hope will be a dynamic and enduring international collaboration rooted in shared commitments to peacebuilding, reconciliation, and the study of violent histories.

The meeting brought together several role players, including Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, AVReQ director, Prof Louise Du Toit, and Dr Anell Stacey Daries, with Prof Ralf K. Wüstenberg, director of the Wasatia Graduate School, and Dr Zeina Barakat, the school’s executive director. Discussions centred around the complementary strengths of each institution and the potential for formal collaboration through academic exchanges, joint teaching opportunities, and shared platforms for student engagement.

Prof Wüstenberg and Dr Barakat provided an overview of Wasatia’s unique three-year PhD programme, which combines academic research with experiential learning around key themes such as Holocaust education, transitional justice, and interreligious dialogue. Dr Daries, who recently spent three weeks with Wasatia as part of a visiting fellowship, shared reflections on the graduate school’s intellectual environment and the powerful cross-cultural connections fostered among its diverse student cohort, which includes individuals from Palestine, Israel, Yemen, Germany, and South Africa.

The conversation revealed several points of synergy between AVReQ and Wasatia, particularly around AVReQ’s upcoming MPhil in Violent Histories and Repair, set to launch in 2026. Both sides expressed enthusiasm about deepening collaboration through co-teaching arrangements, reciprocal guest lectures, and the possibility of developing affiliated short courses and colloquia. An especially promising area is the inclusion of AVReQ in Wasatia’s public lecture series and Wasatia’s participation in AVReQ’s upcoming 2026 conference.

As Prof Gobodo-Madikizela noted, this collaboration is not only an opportunity to internationalise AVReQ’s work, but also to participate in building a network of scholars and practitioners committed to fostering global citizenship, peace, and social repair. In the spirit of mutual learning and commitment to justice, both AVReQ and the Wasatia Graduate School look forward to what promises to be a rich and impactful partnership.