About the Program

Master of Arts in Argumentation & Conflict Studies

in partnership with QatarDebate

About the Program

This program is designed to develop a complex approach towards understanding argumentation theory and conflict studies within the context of the MENA region. By combining strong theoretical foundations from both the contemporary and Islamic visions and methods, this program gives more depth to the study of conflict and peace-making. It equips students with advanced skills in analyzing arguments, understanding and mapping conflicts, and developing professional, structured approaches to conflict resolution and dialogue, under the guidance of highly qualified and internationally experienced faculty members.

The program is offered through a unique partnership between Ibn Haldun University and the Qatar Debate Center, bringing together academic excellence and global practice. This collaboration creates a dynamic learning environment in which students study argumentation and conflict analysis as academic disciplines while actively applying these skills in real-world and international contexts.

Ibn Haldun University is recognized as one of the leading universities in Türkiye, particularly known for its strong international orientation and its diverse student body drawn from across the globe. This program is offered in the Institute of Alliance of Civilizations (MEDIT), in the Sulaymaniah Campus, which offers graduate students rich academic opportunities within a multicultural, research-driven environment, making it a key destination for international students seeking high-quality postgraduate education. 

Qatar Debate Center, founded by Qatar Foundation, is the major debate organization in the region with a renowned international impact, with participants and partners from more than 120 countries. Over the years, it has served as a global hub for practitioners, educators, academics, and researchers, organizing major international debate championships on 5 continents, academic conferences and programs, and youth forums. It has become a recognized platform where youth, scholars, and professionals meet to exchange knowledge, develop research, and advance the fields of debate and dialogue.

Through this strategic partnership, the program is carefully designed to enable students to learn from leading academics and practitioners, while also gaining hands-on experience through participation in international conferences, forums, and research-oriented activities, ensuring a comprehensive educational experience that bridges theory and practice.

Academic Background

Arising out of a years-long collaboration between the ArguMunazara Research Center and QatarDebate, the Master of Arts in Argumentation and Conflict Studies offers a window onto emerging non-Western approaches to dialogue in all its forms, from debate to negotiation, inquiry to mediation. Located at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute at Ibn Haldun University, ArguMunazara was initiated through a series of national, bi-national, and international projects in which the post-classical discipline of munazara took center stage. The goal of the research center, as clarified in its flagship Adab project, is first to excavate this richness, bring it into the present, and contribute to the respective modern fields. It is also where ArguMunazara’s focus on tradition met QatarDebate’s excellence in institutionalizing modern debate. This enabled the ArguMunazara Research Center to develop a new competitive debate model rooted in the munazara tradition. The collaboration continued through the First and Second International Conference on Debate and Dialogue. Through this partnership, the two institutions produced scientific outputs that showcase the potential of jadal and munazara to be adapted as contemporary theory and practice.

QatarDebate have further expanded their endeavors through the QatarDebate Research Fellowship programme, which aims to enable researchers worldwide to contribute to scientific research, and to spark global youth dialogue through the Doha Forum Youth Edition.

Students of the program will benefit from years of experience and increasing opportunities by joining a multidisciplinary research program supported by both institutions.

Program Objectives

The Master's Program in Argumentation and Conflict Studies will equip students with the following skills:

1.   Constructing, analyzing, and critiquing arguments within different philosophical and cultural frameworks.
2. Examining conflict structures, paying attention to stakeholders, root causes, and early warning signs of escalation.
3.  Facilitating public dialogue and mediating disputes in complex socio-political environments.
4.  Focus on the normative, historical, and epistemic foundations of conflict in the Global South, particularly in the MENA region.
5.  Translate theoretical knowledge gained from intercultural argumentation and social philosophy into practical dialogue strategies, policy recommendations, and community-based conflict resolution interventions.
6.  Exploring how to draw on different traditions, particularly Islamic civilization, to develop regional solutions to regional problems.

Graduates will not only be competent analysts and mediators, but also thought leaders who can advance research, contribute to policy development, and contribute to the development of alternative, context-sensitive conflict transformation models.