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About the course
About the course
Since the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in 2016, principles have been adpted aiming at a change of paradigm in order to respond better to humanitarian and peacebuilding needs. One of the encouraging ideas was that the divide between humanitarian, peacebuilding and development efforts should be reduced and that common objectives should lead to practical and programmatic linkages. In all cases, the importance to build on local initiatives and to bring local actors in co-leadership roles, is advocated, though not yet a reality on the ground.
This online module will explore how local actors can connect these different initiatives. We will investigate how the "localisation" agenda can be put into practice to create a new humanitarian framework, establish new standards and lead to lasting solutions.
This course is offered for credit or on a non-credit basis and is delivered jointly by Oxford Brookes University's Centre for Development and Emergency Practice (CENDEP) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).
A flexible and user-friendly online learning environment will enable you to learn from your workplace. During the course, you will have support from a team of academic experts, top-ranked practitioners, and field experts. As well as the unique opportunity to interact and learn with peers and expert facilitators across the world.
Your time will be split equally among four main activities:
Staff-led activities, such as webinars, tutorials and discussions
Self-led activities, including readings and independent exercises
Drawing on your past or current professional practice
Preparing your assignments (credit-rated course)
The credit-rated CPD module, equivalent to 20 postgraduate credits, requires learners to complete assessments and can be counted towards the distance-learning PG Cert/ Master's in Humanitarian Action and Peacebuilding. The non-credit-rated short course leads to a certificate of attendance.
Dates
Dates
Delivery dates: September - December 2026
This course is primarily self-paced, with a required one-hour weekly webinar. It's designed to be flexible for those with full-time jobs or for those studying from around the world.
Application deadlines: 4 September 2026 (Credit-rated course), 14 September 2026 (Non-credit-rated course)
Non-credit course: 8 weeks comprising of 6 interactive weeks plus 2 reading weeks
Credit-rated course: 11 weeks comprising of 6 interactive weeks, 2 reading weeks plus 3 assessment weeks
Course cost
Course cost
Credit-rated course is £1,145*
Non-credit-rated course: £600*
Course Content
Course Content
The online course is estimated to be 200 hours per module and includes 6 key sessions:
Linking humanitarian action, peacebuilding and development
Localisation, local turn and the agenda for humanity
As local as possible, as international as necessary
Building on local knowledge and endogenous conflict management
Reinforce, do not replace: Strenthening local capacities and local mobilisation
Localisation and local turn in practice
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes
Demonstrate ability to undertake research and analyses of humanitarian and peacebuilding local contexts and local stakeholders' analysis, including assessing impacts of programming options on local dynamics.
Demonstrate depth and systematic understanding of local stakeholders and local knowledge, expertise and challenges to integrate them in conflict and post-conflict programmes.
Develop innovative tools in order to better operationalise and programme localised and contextualised humanitarian and peacebuilding initiatives.
Who is this module for?
Who is this module for?
This course is suitable for practitioners already working in the humanitarian, conflict transformation and peacebuilding fields and in related areas such as diplomacy and journalism, who wish to continue their professional development, and practitioners working in other fields interested in exploring opportunities in these areas.
Contact us
Contact us
If you have any enquiries about the course, please email us at hst-cpdadmissions@brookes.ac.uk
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*Cancellation policy
*Cancellation policy
If you cancel on or before the application deadline, you will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations made after this date are not eligible for a refund.
If the course is cancelled by Oxford Brookes University, all registered participants will get a full refund.
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