The Political Economy of Education in Conflict Affected Contexts

The proposed Chair will seek to create hub for Political Economy Analysis (PEA) of Education in conflict-affected contexts in the Middle East. This will be achieved through the strengthening of PEA-research capacity and a specific programme of research activity focused on the PEA of non-state education actors in Iraq. It is common for donors to engage with non-state schools in times of crisis in order to enhance the likelihood of meeting strategic goals around access, learning, or supporting marginalized communities. Yet, despite research on both non-state education and education in crisis and conflict-affected countries, little has been written on their intersection. This project seeks to apply a critical and locally-grounded use of PEA to unpack the interests underpinning different types of non-state education policies and interventions in Iraq. The objective is to support donor and practitioner decision making in contexts where government presence is weak and community division is high.