Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH)

The Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy is an independent research institution at the University of Hamburg. The two terms in the institute's name highlight the central hypothesis underlying its work: Ensuring peace and providing security are two sides of the same coin. They cannot be pursued in isolation from each other. This is equally true of the situation - now receding into history - in which Europe knew peace under nuclear deterrence as it is of the contemporary situation, in which threats to security emanate from regional armed conflicts, transnational terrorism, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The work of the institute is thus underpinned by the postulate of a security policy that is both effective and geared to the use of peaceful means. The institute's current research programme, under the banner "Contemporary Peace Strategies - Peace and Security Policy at the Fault Lines of Globalization", gives concrete form to this approach. The IFSH's research profile demonstrates an awareness of political realities, a focus on problem solving, and an international mix of staff and project partners.