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This course equips participants with essential leadership, team management, and self-management skills
necessary in humanitarian action and peacebuilding fields, where adaptive response to dynamic environments is crucial.
Emphasising leadership theory, team dynamics, decision-making in unpredictable contexts
and stress management, the course prepares participants
to lead and collaborate effectively under challenging conditions.
The course runs from September to December each year.
It is developed over 8 weeks for non-credit and 11 weeks for those taking the course for credits.
This includes 2 reading weeks, 6 interactive weeks and for those taking the course for credits 3 weeks for finalising assessments.
Most of the course is asynchronous except for a one hour per week webinar. It is designed to be accessible for learners working full time.
Designed and delivered jointly by the Centre for Development and Emergency Practice (CENDEP) of Oxford Brookes University and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
Humanitarian Action and Peacebuilding courses give you an unique access to resources, experts and support
from both institutions.
For those following the credit-rated route, credit from this module can be counted towards
the PGCert/MA Humanitarian Action and Peacebuilding after completion.
Course content
Course content
The Leadership, Team and Self-Management in Conflict Settings course covers five essential themes:
Introduction to Leadership in Complex Environments
Examines leadership theories and their application to humanitarian and peacebuilding contexts.Leading Organizational Change
Focuses on change management theories and strategies within volatile environments.§ Decision-Making in Unpredictable Contexts
Explores techniques for intuitive and rational decision-making under challenging conditions.
Team Management in Humanitarian and Peacebuilding Contexts
Introduces tools for building and managing effective teams, emphasizing collaboration and communication.Stress and Stress-Management
Provides insights into types of stress, reactions, and resilience techniques over two weeks.
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes
This course encourages application-oriented learning, enhancing leadership, and management skills for humanitarian professionals.
Evaluate and apply a range of leadership concepts within complex settings.
Identify and analyze organizational change needs, developing strategies for improvement.
Make strategic decisions independently in unpredictable environments.
Use digital tools effectively for diverse team management.
Develop strategies for personal and team resilience, identifying signs of traumatic stress.
Why is this course unique?
Why is this course unique?
Expert Instruction: Led by practitioners, experts and experienced field professionals, the course provides a comprehensive view of IHL principles and their application in conflict settings.
Flexible Learning: Designed for professionals with work commitments, this mostly asynchronous course includes limited, flexible synchronous sessions, coordinated through participant polling to suit varying schedules.
Credit and Non-Credit Options: Can be taken for credit towards the MA in Humanitarian Action and Peacebuilding or as a standalone course. Credit-bearing participation includes assessments and a transcript, while the non-credit route provides a certificate of attendance.
This module is led by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in cooperation with the Queen’s Award-winning Centre for Development and Emergency Practice (CENDEP) at Oxford Brookes University.
Who is it for?
Who is it for?
This course is for practitioners already working in the humanitarian, conflict transformation
and peacebuilding fields and in related areas (diplomacy, journalism…) who wish to continue their professional development,
and practitioners working in other fields interested in exploring opportunities in these areas.
Course fees
Course fees
For Credit: £1,145
Non-credit: £600
Application deadlines:
Credit rated: September 5th 2025
Non-credit rated (certificate of attendance): September 15th 2025
Cancellation policy
In case the course is cancelled, all registered participants will receive a 100% refund.
In case you need to cancel your booking, the following will apply:
Credit rated: A 50% refund will be issued if the cancellation is made up to and on 5 September. No refund will be provided in case of cancellations made after 5 September..
Non-credit rated: A 50% refund will be issued if the cancellation is made up to and on 15 September. No refund will be provided in case of cancellations made after 15 September.
Contact us
Contact us
If you have any enquiries about the course, please email us at: bpiquard@brookes.ac.uk
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