PG Cert Humanitarian Action (online 1 year)

This module examines responses to conflict-related emergencies, focusing on the power relations, systems, and processes that generate violence and shape humanitarian action. Using theories and case studies, you will analyse how crises - from wars in Palestine, Ukraine, Sudan, and Syria to climate-related displacement - are identified and addressed, develoing skills essential for policymaking and implementation in humanitarian contexts. The module explores the challenges of providing assistance under difficult conditions, including access, security, gender dynamics, migration, and civil society engagement, while considering the ethical dilemmas and political dimensions of aid. Through historical and contemporary cases, you will gain critical analytical tools to understand humanitarian action in its full complexity, recognising both its life-saving potential and practical constraints. By the end, you will be equipped to engage meaningfully with humanitarian crises, building employability skills in research, critical thinking, communication, ethical reasoning, and applied problem-solving.

This module explores the measurement, causes, and prevention of violence, alongside the meanings, mechanisms, and agents of security. It examines the shift from traditional national security to Human Security and critical security studies, investigating how violence and insecurity affect communities and destabilise societies. You will consider social factors such as gender and identity, analysing how they shape - and are shaped by - experiences of conflict and security. Drawing on literature from development studies, political economy, political science, international relations, and reports from pressure groups and the UN, the module provides a comprehensive understanding of violence, vulnerability, and global security challenges. Through this interdisciplinary approach, you will develop analytical, research, and evaluative skills, alongside attention to ethical considerations and communication, preparing you to assess complex security issues critically and contribute effectively in academic, policy, or professional contexts.