A Brief History of the Rotary Centres for International Studies Program

Abstract

1 Rotarians have long dreamed of creating a Rotary-sponsored academy to promote world understanding and peace. Over the past 25 years, a variety of initiatives have been proposed to make this dream a reality. In 1996, consideration was given to the concept of an educational centre, institute or university dedicated to Paul Harris, as a way of commemorating the 50th anniversary of his death in 1947. The outcome of much deliberation was the creation of Paul Harris Centres for International Studies at several universities worldwide. At these centres, fellows would obtain a graduate degree focusing on issues related to international relations, conflict resolution, and peace studies. The Trustees of the Rotary Foundation adopted this proposal in principle and, in 1999, approved the plan to partner with universities to establish the Rotary Centres for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution. The centres were so named to increase public awareness of Rotary’s commitment to peace and because Paul Harris’s name is not well known outside the Rotary world. The Rotary Centres Committee considered more than 100 universities and based their final recommendations to the Trustees on such specific criteria as geographic diversity, the university’s willingness to work with The Rotary Foundation, superior faculty, and an established degree programme with a core curriculum in international relations, peace, and conflict resolution. Rotary Peace Fellows began travelling abroad to pursue a master’s degree at the Rotary Centres for International Studies in 2002. In 2006, a short-term peace studies pilot programme was launched that would serve as an alternative to the Rotary Centres for International Studies programme. The programme would enhance Rotary’s existing work to support international peace studies. This second peace studies programme would attract middleto upper-level professionals who could arrange to be away from their employment for just a few months. It would also provide a lower-cost option to The Rotary Foundation and more immediate returns on Rotary’s investment in world understanding and peace. In 2008, The Rotary Foundation Trustees approved the short-term option, at The Rotary Centre at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, as a permanent offering within the Rotary Centre for International Studies programme, thereby providing interested applicants with a variety of courses and durations.