Kennesaw State students work hands-on to augment State Department peacekeeping operations

KENNESAW, Ga. (Jun 8, 2021) — Gauging the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations is no simple task, but with the help of Kennesaw State faculty and students, the U.S. State Department can make more informed decisions for future peacekeeping action.

This spring, Ph.D. students joined political science professor Charity Butcher in conducting research to help the U.S. Department of State evaluate its peacekeeping operations. Students worked with the Bureau of Peace Operations, and were tasked with providing a review of existing studies on effective peacekeeping and developing an evaluation tool the State Department could use to assess the ability of peacekeeping missions to achieve results on the ground.

Butcher, who teaches a course on peacekeeping, peacebuilding and reconciliation in Kennesaw State’s School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding and Development, said the project provided her students with an applicable experience that would be useful for their future professional endeavors.

“The overall project the students proposed was perfectly aligned with what we do in the class,” Butcher said. “It seemed like a great opportunity to have our Ph.D. students work on something that directly translates to activities our government agencies conduct.”

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