Department of Conflict Resolution, Human Security, and Global Governance

08/26/2026

Call for Submissions Special Issue: Global Governance, Gender, and 21st Century Human (In)Securities

Co-edited by GGHS Alumni Dr. Krystal-Gayle O'Neill and Dr. Deborah McFee

08/21/2026

🌍 New Research on Afghan Refugee Health in Türkiye

We are proud to share that PhD candidate Sahar Badiezadeh has co-authored a new article in the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health.

The study, "Post-Migration Stressors and Health Vulnerabilities Among Afghan Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Türkiye," examines the health challenges faced by Afghan refugees after resettlement. Sahar's research explores how factors such as legal status, access to healthcare, and social integration affect refugee well-being, a central issue in human security and global governance.

This publication reflects Sahar's ongoing commitment to understanding the lived experiences of immigrants and refugees, as well as how immigration policies affect their health and integration.

This phenomenological study examines the lived experiences of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers navigating health and social support in Türkiye. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 25 Dari-speaking Afghan refugees residing in Kayseri, Türkiye, between December 20...

08/21/2026

🌾 When Rules Exist Only on Paper: Uganda's Sugar Sector and Food Insecurity

We are proud to share a new op-ed by our recent PhD graduate, Dr. James Kintu PhD, published on the New Security Beat!

In "Unenforced Rules in Uganda's Sugar Sector: Food Insecurity and Climate Change," Dr. Kintu examines a paradox: while Uganda's Busoga region has seen a massive expansion of sugarcane cultivation, over half of households there face moderate-to-severe food insecurity.

His research shows that the problem isn't a lack of rules. The widely cited "30/70 rule," which recommends farmers keep 30% of their land in food crops, was never legally enacted. This enforcement gap extends to climate protections, where deforestation continues and district adaptation budgets remain woefully underfunded.

But Dr. Kintu also sees a window of opportunity: a new mill opening in Buyende district means that governance choices made now can prevent the same failures from recurring.

This is a must-read for anyone interested in food security, climate governance, and the real-world impact of unenforced rules!

In Uganda’s Busoga kingdom, seven sugar mills process the sugarcane grown on roughly 110,000 hectares in the region. The growth in this activity has been significant; the territory now comprises [...]

08/19/2026

New Publication: Alumni Brown, N Hannah Co-Authors Climate Resilience Study

I am delighted to announce that our distinguished alumna, Nyingilanyeofori Hannah Brown, is a co-author on a recently published article in SSM - Qualitative Research in Health!

The paper, "Health as the embodiment of climate inequity: Evidence from communities of color in Greater Boston," is an important contribution to the field of climate justice and human security. It examined how Asian American, Black, Latinx, and Native American residents of Greater Boston understood climate-related health risks and how those experiences reflected broader structural inequities.

The findings underscore a crucial point: climate change is embodied through cumulative, relational, and structurally patterned processes rather than through isolated exposures or differences in awareness. Reducing climate-related health inequities requires interventions that address the historical, material, and institutional conditions shaping exposure, protection, care, and recovery.

This is essential reading for anyone working at the intersection of climate change, social determinants of health, environmental justice, and public policy.

08/05/2026

🇳🇬 When Kidnapping No Longer Pays: A New Doctrine for Nigeria?

A powerful new op-ed by PhD candidate Adebobola Omowon, published on the Peace, Democracy, and Development (PAX) Blog.

In "The Oyo Rescue and Nigeria's Emerging Counterterrorism Doctrine," Bobby analyzes the historic May 2026 rescue of 44 students and teachers abducted in Oyo State. Unlike countless previous abductions, this operation involved no ransom payment, no prisoner releases. Just sustained, intelligence-led pressure that dismantled the kidnappers' network.

Bobby argues this may represent the beginning of an "Oyo Doctrine": a counterterrorism posture that systematically disrupts the economics of kidnapping. He cautions, however, that one success does not make a doctrine: the true test will come with the next abduction.

An essential reading for anyone concerned with security, governance, and human rights in Africa!

For more than a decade, Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and kidnapping has been measured largely by statistics: the number of people abducted, the number eventually released, the amount reportedly paid in ransom, and the number who never made it home. Every successful rescue has understandably b...

08/05/2026

🚆 How Trains Can Transform Persian Gulf Politics and Global Security

We are proud to share a new op-ed by PhD candidate Firmesk O. Rahim Rahim and Professor Stacy VanDeveer, published in The Conversation!

In "How trains can transform Persian Gulf politics and global security," they explore a question with profound implications: Could the GCC Railway, a 2,177-kilometer network connecting Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, reshape regional conflict and cooperation?

With the Strait of Hormuz crisis highlighting the vulnerability of maritime routes, the railway offers a strategic alternative. But the authors argue its significance goes beyond logistics. It is a shared effort to deepen economic integration, build resilience, and position the Gulf as a link between global markets.

Historically, railways have transformed countries from the U.S. to postwar Japan to contemporary China. This piece asks whether the Gulf is next.

👉 Read the full article here:

Once completed, the 2,177-kilometer GCC Railway will connect six Gulf kingdoms and provide alternative routes to Europe and Asia.

08/05/2026

⚠️ When Aid Cuts Become a Security Crisis

We are proud to highlight a new op-ed by Alhassan Tahiru published in the International Policy Digest.

In "How USAID Cuts Are Creating the Security Crisis Washington Fears," Alhassan examines the unintended consequences of the U.S. decision to freeze USAID funding to Uganda. He argues that the collapse of humanitarian support, including food assistance, healthcare, education, and peacebuilding programs, is transforming a model refugee-hosting system into a source of instability. The piece documents how resource competition, social fragmentation, and secondary displacement are creating conditions that armed groups can exploit, with potential spillover effects across East Africa.

Alhassan's analysis bridges humanitarian and security perspectives, offering a timely contribution to debates on foreign aid, global governance, and human security. His work exemplifies the engaged scholarship our department seeks to foster: research that connects rigorous analysis to real-world policy challenges.

Congratulations, Alhassan, on this important contribution!

Read here:

USAID cuts are pushing Uganda’s refugee system toward a humanitarian breakdown that could fuel instability across East Africa.

07/22/2026

The MA in International Relations program prepares students to bring academic rigor and scholarly insight to pressing policy challenges. We equip them with the skills needed to work in international organizations, globally-oriented national or local government agencies, nonprofit or non-governmental organizations, international business consulting, or to continue on to an academic career.

Our esteemed student Matteo Totime shares how he initially thought the program would only teach him mainstream politics, only to find out that it goes deep into research and understanding the root of practical theory that he hopes to use in his future career.

Further info on MA IR:

https://www.umb.edu/academics/program-finder/international-relations-ma/

07/20/2026

💧 When the Rivers Heal: A Call to Protect Ghana's Children

The Department of Conflict Resolution, Human Security, and Global Governance is proud to highlight a new, compelling op-ed in New Security Beat about the human cost of illegal mining in Ghana by our PhD candidate, Alhassan Tahiru.

Alhassan's piece, "When the Rivers Heal: Child Welfare and Ghana's Anti-Galamsey Fight," exposes how the fight against "galamsey" has focused on environmental restoration while neglecting the children who drink contaminated water, suffer from mercury poisoning, and face lifelong developmental challenges. He documents evidence of mercury poisoning, birth deformities, and chronic illness, and calls for a comprehensive child-centered policy framework.

His powerful message: Ghana cannot claim to be fighting illegal mining while leaving its most vulnerable citizens without protection. He calls for a dedicated child welfare response including health monitoring, a child exposure registry, and emergency relocation.

This piece reflects Alhassan's ongoing research on peace, conflict, human security, and governance dynamics in Africa. It exemplifies the kind of engaged scholarship our department seeks to foster, bridging rigorous analysis and real-world policy impact.

Congratulations, Alhassan!

In Ghana, illegal mining is commonly known as “galamsey,” derived from the phrase “gather them and sell.” It is an informal and unregulated small-scale mining activity that provides alternative [...]

07/16/2026

Two years might not be long to grow and develop, but our esteemed alumna Ellen Busolo M., PhD. certainly has, as reflected by the 2026 GGHS Early Career Excellence Award that she received.

This prestigious recognition honors emerging scholars who have demonstrated exceptional promise and meaningful contributions to the fields of global governance and human security early in their careers. Busolo's work exemplifies the department's commitment to rigorous scholarship and real-world impact. She sees the award as recognition of her scholarship, teaching, and top academic work. She also recalled her experience as a TA for the coursework she now teaches herself, which is a testament to her resilience in working her way up. We are proud to count her among our distinguished alumni and look forward to her continued success!