Giuditta Fontana

Biography

Dr Fontana is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow and Birmingham Fellow. Her current project focuses on the interface between peace processes and reforms of cultural institutions (such as schools, the media and museums) in divided societies (such as Northern Ireland, Lebanon and the FYR of Macedonia). Her research interests include post-conflict institution-building, power-sharing, education policy in divided societies, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern history and politics. Giuditta is a United World College alumna and holds a BSc International Relations and History from the London School of Economics (2007) and an MA Mediterranean Studies from King's College London (2008). Her PhD (awarded in October 2014 by King's College London) focused on the political function of formal education in deeply divided societies and compared the experiences of Lebanon, Northern Ireland and the FYR of Macedonia. Prior to her doctorate, Giuditta worked in a number of non-governmental and international organisations in Europe and the Middle East, including the European Commission and Minority Rights Group International

Research Interest

Ethnic, religious and national conflicts Conflict and coexistence in divided societies The conflicts in Lebanon, Northern Ireland, Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina Conflict management Design and implementation of peace agreements Institutional design after violent ethno-national conflicts Power-sharing Cultural institutions in fragile and divided societies Cultural reforms in peace agreements The relationship between cultural policy and resilient peace processes Schools, museums, libraries, the media and other cultural institutions as instruments for peace-building and sites for reconciliation