From Policy to Practice: Advancing Regional Dialogue on Peacebuilding, Education, and Displacement

The School of Education at Taylor’s University formalised a new academic partnership with the Conflict and Resilience Research Institute Canada (CRRIC) through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 4 May 2026. The partnership establishes a strategic framework for collaboration in peacebuilding, refugee education, academic exchange, research-informed curriculum development, scholarly publications, and future research funding initiatives. Building on this collaboration, Taylor’s University and CRRIC jointly organised From Policy to Practice: Peacebuilding, Education, and Displacement in Myanmar and the Region on 5 May 2026 at Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus. The event convened academics, policymakers, representatives from United Nations agencies, and practitioners to explore how peacebuilding and education can more effectively address the complex challenges of protracted displacement in Myanmar and across the region.

The programme commenced with welcoming remarks from the School of Education, followed by the keynote address, Charting a Lasting Peace in Myanmar, delivered by Dr. Abdul Razak Ahmad, Founding Director of Bait Al Amanah and Special Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Malaysia, alongside Prof. Dr. Kawser Ahmed, Executive Director of CRRIC. A panel discussion titled Peacebuilding in Practice: From Policy to Community Realities examined the interplay between regional policy commitments and the lived experiences of displaced communities. Featuring speakers from the Office of YB Wong Chen, Member of Parliament for Subang, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and the University of Dhaka, the session explored how political constraints, regional norms, and institutional limitations continue to shape peacebuilding efforts and the realities faced by displaced populations.

The programme then shifted its focus from policy dialogue to the future of education through an interactive roundtable featuring representatives from United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), UNHCR, Dignity, and Agape @ Living Water Learning Centre. Drawing on the perspectives of practitioners and learning centre leaders, discussions centred on refugee education pathways, girls’ education, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), access to post-secondary education, and the recognition of learning beyond formal education systems.

The event concluded with the synthesis session, From Dialogue to Action, which reinforced the importance of sustained collaboration among universities, United Nations agencies, community-based organisations, and refugee learning centres. Together, the MoU and this regional initiative represent a significant milestone in strengthening Taylor’s regional leadership and engagement in advancing peacebuilding, displacement studies, and inclusive education.