Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies

What Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies does

The Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies is an academic and policy research institute founded in 1986 at the University of Notre Dame by philanthropist Joan B. Kroc and Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C. It operates as part of Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs and pursues a scholar-practitioner model that combines graduate and undergraduate teaching with applied field work in conflict zones. Educational offerings include a Ph.D. (delivered through six dual-degree programs), a Master of Global Affairs with a peace studies concentration, and an undergraduate supplementary major and minor. The institute's core research asset is the Peace Accords Matrix (PAM), a structured database that codes 51 themes across peace agreements signed since 1989 and is described as the foremost source of its kind. Adjacent programs include the Mediation Program, the Peace Accords Matrix Barometer Initiative (with active implementation in Colombia), the Afghanistan Program for Peace and Development, and the PeaceTech and Polarization Lab.

The institute's business model is that of a nonprofit academic center: it does not sell products or services at market prices but is funded through a mix of university endowment support, restricted grants from foundations (e.g., Templeton, USIP) and U.S. federal agencies (NIH, NSF), foreign-government support (Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and tuition. Applied work is delivered to counterparties including national governments (Colombia, the Philippines), the United Nations, and peace-process actors; the institute's stated alumni base of 1,900+ across 100+ countries functions as both an outreach channel and a credentialing pipeline into multilateral and field roles.

Name

Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies

Legal name

Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies

Website

https://kroc.nd.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies is a University of Notre Dame academic and policy research center that delivers peace-studies degrees, maintains the Peace Accords Matrix database, and runs field programs in mediation and conflict zones.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education — Peace Studies

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Support Services (611710), International Affairs (928120), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rule of Law, Justice & Corrections Support in Conflict Settings (BPADAFAI), Peace, Security Sector Reform & Stabilization Programs (BPADABAH), Higher Education Governance & Quality Policy Research (EDADADAI)

Keywords

• Peace studies research
• Higher education programs
• Conflict resolution training
• International mediation
• Peace accords analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Notre Dame

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Academic Tuition and University Support: As part of the University of Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs, the institute receives institutional funding through tuition revenue from its academic programs and university budget allocations.
2. Research Grants and Foundations: The institute receives grant funding from various sources including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), United States Institute of Peace (USIP), John Templeton Foundation, and other foundations for specific research initiatives.
3. Endowment Income: Founded in 1986 by Joan B. Kroc and Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., the institute benefits from endowment income and philanthropic support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies is an interdisciplinary academic and research institute within the University of Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs that offers graduate and undergraduate academic programs in peace studies, conducts policy-relevant research on peace processes and conflict prevention, and operates specialized programs including the Peace Accords Matrix database, a Mediation Program, and various policy-practice initiatives. The Institute trains scholar-practitioners and provides direct advisory support and implementation monitoring for active peace processes globally.

Product overview

The Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies is an academic institute within the University of Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs. Rather than a unified software product, it offers a portfolio of academic programs (Ph.D. in Peace Studies with six dual-degree options, International Peace Studies concentration in the Master of Global Affairs, and undergraduate supplementary major/minor), research databases (Peace Accords Matrix), professional development programs (Summer Institute for Faculty), and specialized initiatives (Mediation Program, Peace Accords Matrix Barometer Initiative). These offerings are interconnected through shared faculty, research methodologies, and a common focus on peacebuilding scholarship and practice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Peace Accords Matrix (PAM) An interactive research database that tracks implementation progress of comprehensive peace agreements and allows scholars and practitioners to compare 51 different themes across all comprehensive peace agreements signed since 1989. Used by governments, scholars, and international organizations for evidence-based peace process analysis.
• Ph.D. Program in Peace Studies An interdisciplinary doctoral program offering six dual degrees: anthropology and peace studies, history and peace studies, political science and peace studies, psychology and peace studies, sociology and peace studies, and theology and peace studies. Designed for prospective scholars seeking advanced research training linking peace studies with a partner discipline.
• International Peace Studies Concentration (Master of Global Affairs) A concentration within the University of Notre Dame's two-year Master of Global Affairs program focused on international peace studies. Includes a six-month professional field experience requirement with a peacebuilding organization, designed for prospective practitioners entering policy, NGO, or peacebuilding careers.
• Undergraduate Supplementary Major and Minor in Peace Studies A supplementary major (24 credits) and interdisciplinary minor (15 credits) in peace studies drawing from both humanities and social sciences. Required courses include Introduction to Peace Studies, Perspectives on Peacebuilding, and the Peace Studies Senior Seminar with experiential learning component.
• Mediation Program An international center for mediation training and research led by Professor of the Practice of Mediation Laurie Nathan. Provides training for senior UN officials, collaborates with governments, international organizations, and civil society on mediation processes, and conducts research on mediation in armed conflicts.
• Summer Institute for Faculty A week-long annual training program for faculty who want to launch or strengthen peace studies programs at their institutions. Has trained faculty from multiple countries, providing curriculum, research, and pedagogical guidance.
• Peace Accords Matrix Barometer Initiative An on-the-ground monitoring initiative in Colombia that tracks implementation of the 2016 Colombian peace accord. Partners with the National Secretariat for the Social Pastorate-Caritas Colombiana to deploy peacebuilding professionals for real-time implementation tracking of peace accord stipulations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 61% of stipulations in Colombian peace accord showed implementation activity after 18 months
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Woman Online University in AfghanistanflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026New partnership between the Keough School of Global Affairs (home to Kroc Institute) and Woman Online University in Afghanistan aims to expand educational opportunities for Afghan women and girls amid Taliban restrictions on higher education.
• Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with PRIO for the annual Ph.D.-level course on International Mediation: Theory, Cases and Skills. The Kroc Institute's Mediation Program co-organizes this intensive course for doctoral students.
• National Secretariat for the Social Pastorate-Caritas ColombianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to administer a team of peacebuilding professionals who provide on-the-ground monitoring in Colombia for the Peace Accords Matrix Barometer Initiative, tracking implementation of the 2016 Colombian peace accord.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMadhav Joshi has authored policy briefings and provided research support to UNDP on peace process design and implementation challenges. Ongoing collaboration on peacebuilding initiatives.
• Berghof FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKroc Institute's Mediation Program collaborated with Berghof Foundation on the Track 1.5 Dialogue in Macedonia Project, with Laurie Nathan serving as lead facilitator at workshops for political parties.
• Norwegian Ministry of Foreign AffairsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMadhav Joshi has provided research support and policy briefings to the Norwegian Ministry on peace process contents and implementation challenges.
• Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Philippines)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMadhav Joshi has provided policy briefings and research support to facilitate ongoing negotiations on peace process design and implementation for the Philippines peace process.
• Office of the High Commissioner for Peace (Colombia)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrancisco Diez and Madhav Joshi have served as advisors to the Colombian Office of the High Commissioner for Peace, helping create the Barometer Project to monitor peace accord implementation.
• University of Innsbruck - Research Centre for Peace and ConflictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScholar in Residence Josefina Echavarría Alvarez serves as co-director of this research center, developing resources for teaching peace studies, conflict transformation, and peacebuilding.
• Folke Bernadotte AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on research briefs regarding Women, Peace and Security, and implementation of gender provisions in peace agreements.
• UN WomenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research collaboration on Women, Peace and Security, understanding implementation of gender stipulations in peace agreements.
• Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaurie Nathan participated in consultation workshops and helped draft protocol on preventive diplomacy and mediation for IGAD. Also involved in South Sudan mediation support.
• The Carter CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrancisco Diez served as Carter Center representative in Venezuela (2002-2004) and Latin America (2007-2010), co-mediating between political parties and launching binational dialogue programs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Institute for the Study of Genocide: A nonprofit organization dedicated to research and prevention of genocide and mass atrocities, with overlapping leadership through Kroc faculty (Ernesto Verdeja as Executive Director). It is an emerging/adjacent peer with thematic overlap on atrocity prevention but a narrower remit than Kroc.

Broad incumbents

• International Peace Institute (IPI): An independent, international think tank focused on providing policy analysis and recommendations to UN bodies and member states on peace and security issues. It is a broad incumbent given its larger policy footprint at the UN and overlapping work on peace process design.
• Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI): An independent international research institute on security, conflict, and arms control. It is a broad incumbent given its global profile in security research and complementary focus on peace, even though SIPRI's emphasis is broader and less applied than Kroc's peacebuilding focus.
• United States Institute of Peace (USIP): The U.S. federal institute dedicated to conflict prevention and resolution worldwide. It is a broad incumbent given its scale, government mandate, and overlapping work on peace process support; USIP also funds Kroc's PAM, making it both a partner and a larger counterpart.

Direct peers

• Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO): PRIO is a leading independent peace research institute that studies the conditions for peaceful relations between states, groups, and individuals. It is a direct peer given Kroc's existing collaborative partnership on international mediation training and shared focus on peace processes, conflict resolution, and scholar-practitioner engagement.
• Columbia University - Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies: One of the oldest academic institutes dedicated to scholarly analysis of war and peace, housed at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs. It is a direct peer given overlapping academic mission, doctoral training, and policy-engaged research on peace processes.
• Berghof Foundation: A Germany-based independent foundation supporting conflict transformation and peacebuilding through research, dialogue support, and training. It is a direct peer given Kroc's existing collaboration (Track 1.5 Macedonia dialogue) and shared focus on mediation practice and scholar-practitioner training.
• George Mason University - Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution: A U.S.-based academic school offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs in peace and conflict resolution with practitioner-oriented training. It is a direct peer in offering peace studies academic programs and applied peacebuilding research.
• Brandeis University - Heller School for Social Policy and Management: Heller offers graduate programs in social policy with focus areas including conflict resolution and coexistence. It is a direct peer in U.S. academic peace and conflict studies, with related faculty networks and credential offerings.
• Uppsala University Department of Peace and Conflict Research: One of the oldest and most cited academic peace research departments globally, producing the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP). It is a direct academic peer of Kroc given overlapping doctoral training, peace process research, and quantitative conflict datasets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies