International Conflict Management, Personal Statement Example

The economic progress over the last few years has been impressive by any measure and many countries that once rarely got any attention are now major players in the global economic arena including India and UAE. But the economic progress doesn’t always translate to social progress and better peace prospects on a global scale. Our species may be highly intelligent as future predictions have almost always underestimated our true potential, history also shows we do not always act in a rational manner. Pride, ego, and other emotions often get the best of us and sometimes the consequences include conflicts and wars that span decades. As someone who has grown up in the Middle East and also considers himself an objective and rational thinker, I believe the solutions lie within our grasp. This is why I knew early during my college career that my life will be devoted to creating a more peaceful world for current and future generations. A Ph.D. in International Conflict Management is only a natural step towards acquiring knowledge, skills, and perspectives that will help me better understand the root causes of conflicts at both national and international levels and devise strategies to effectively tackle them.

I have always believed that differences arise because parties to the conflict do not understand each other well contrary to what they may assume, either do not have or merely do not seek open and honest communication channels, or have unrealistic understanding of their own as well as rival’s strengths, weaknesses, and capabilities. This philosophy has inspired me to accumulate knowledge on a wide range of subject matters including politics, history, psychology, economics, and business. In addition, courses taken as a requirement of LL.M. in Intercultural Human Rights from St. Thomas University have helped me better understand international laws, state of human rights, factors that lead to conflict, and the different perspectives that have been put forward to either understand the root causes of conflicts or to devise strategies to tackle them. I also have extensive experience in the education sector and my strong knowledge of both eastern and western cultures will also be an asset in a career as a conflict management expert and a peace activist. I will also be particularly effective because I can put myself in others’ shoes and see things from their point-of-view. Understanding how people in different cultures think helps me appeal to their emotions and reasoning style.

One cannot underestimate the importance of the environment in which the learning takes place. I did extensive research before concluding that the Ph.D. Program in International Conflict Management at the Kennesaw State University is truly one-of-a-kind in the U.S. The diversity of student body in the program in terms of cultural background and professional experiences has also been a major factor in my decision to choose Kennesaw State University. I believe my learning outside the class will be as valuable as outside the classroom and regular interaction with fellow students will help me significantly strengthen my cross-cultural skills. In addition, the university hosts students from 142 countries which also means there will be ample research opportunities to gain more objective understanding of the factors that drive conflicts.

I am also interested because the college has a strong social and professional network. It is my hope that I will also become a valuable ambassador of the university in the real world and make valuable contributions to leave a more peaceful world to future generations.