Welcome to the blog for students on the MSc Security, Conflict and International Development (SCID) Course offered by the Department of Criminology, University of Leicester (UoL), its staff and members of the SCID Panel of Experts. The purpose of the blog is to share information, views and questions on issues related to security, conflict and international development. Posts can inform others of developments in the field, new publications or opportunities. The blog can also be used to post questions, comments or reflections on Course-related issues and themes, or discuss current developments in conflict prevention and recovery and related subjects.

The SCID Blog will also be used as the forum in which online guest lectures will be posted (as well as the Blackboard site and App) with a short introduction or reflective piece by the person who has delivered the lecture or presentation. Each time a lecture is posted (approximately every two months) there will follow a period of up to two weeks where students and Panel members can post questions or comments and a discussion on the subject of the lecture can proceed. Aside from supporting audio files and discussions, the benefit of hosting the online lectures on the blog is that SCID students can continue to contribute to the blog after graduation, if they wish.

Please post as much or as little as you would like: post updates, news, opinions, reflective pieces, questions, or other information that you feel other SCID students, staff or members of the Panel of Experts would be interested in. The aim of this Blog and the broader SCID Course is to provoke discussion and critical thought, ultimately in order to be better equipped to build peace and security in post-conflict environments and, more broadly, contribute to building sustainable peace in conflict-affected and conflict-vulnerable environments.

Dr Eleanor Gordon (SCID Course Developer and Tutor)

SCID Course link, Brochure and iTunes link: http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/criminology/dlcourses/pgdlcourses/msc_security_conflict_international_development, http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/criminology/documents/SCID%20brochure.pdf and https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/scid-course/id503579966?mt=8

• SCID Blog – https://uolscid.wordpress.com
• SCID Email Discussion List – www.jiscmail.ac.uk/UOLSCID
• Twitter – @SCID2012