Students

PICT8922 – Conflict Management Strategies

2026 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Courtney Richardson
courtney.fung@mq.edu.au
Consuelo Martinez Reyes
consuelo.martinezreyes@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MCTerrorism OR MCrim OR MCyberSecAnalysis OR MSecStrategicStud OR MIntell OR MStrategySec OR GradCertStrategicPolicy OR GradCertSecStudCr
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
In an era marked by rising geopolitical tensions, understanding the challenges and opportunities involved in managing conflicts has become critical for global peace and security. In this unit, students will engage with the academic debate and practical application of conflict management strategies such as sanctions, peacekeeping, ad hoc operations, technical missions, and legal mechanisms. Through the study of contemporary case studies, students will investigate the motivations behind different responses and assess their effectiveness. The unit considers the roles played by domestic, national, regional, international, and transnational actors in shaping and implementing these strategies, and reflects on the historical record of such interventions. By the end of the unit, students will be able to analyse and evaluate a range of policy responses to conflict, implement high-level research skills, and critically assess the ethical and professional challenges associated with managing conflicts short of war.

 

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Critically evaluate scholarly debates on conflict management within contemporary national and international security contexts.
  • ULO2: Analyse and compare policy responses to complex conflicts using case studies from diverse geopolitical environments.
  • ULO3: Apply advanced research methods to investigate the motivations, implementation, and outcomes of conflict management strategies.
  • ULO4: Assess ethical and professional challenges associated with managing conflicts short of war in a security and policy context.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Policy Memo 50% No 11/09/2026 Individual Yes Open
Take Home Exam 50% No 06/11/2026 Individual No Open

Policy Memo

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 49 hours
Due: 11/09/2026
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Students will complete a short policy memo for government.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically evaluate scholarly debates on conflict management within contemporary national and international security contexts.
  • Analyse and compare policy responses to complex conflicts using case studies from diverse geopolitical environments.
  • Apply advanced research methods to investigate the motivations, implementation, and outcomes of conflict management strategies.
  • Assess ethical and professional challenges associated with managing conflicts short of war in a security and policy context.

Take Home Exam

Assessment Type 1: Problem-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 49 hours
Due: 06/11/2026
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

Students will complete a take-home exam that tests key understandings of the unit
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically evaluate scholarly debates on conflict management within contemporary national and international security contexts.
  • Analyse and compare policy responses to complex conflicts using case studies from diverse geopolitical environments.
  • Apply advanced research methods to investigate the motivations, implementation, and outcomes of conflict management strategies.
  • Assess ethical and professional challenges associated with managing conflicts short of war in a security and policy context.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

UNIT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS  

  • You should spend an average of 12 hours per week on this unit. This includes listening to lectures prior to seminar or tutorial, reading weekly required materials as detailed in iLearn, participating in iLearn discussion forums and preparing assessments.  

  • Internal students are expected to attend all seminar or tutorial sessions, and external students are expected to make significant contributions to on-line activities.  

  • In most cases students are required to attempt and submit all major assessment tasks in order to pass the unit.  

   

REQUIRED READINGS  

  • The citations for all the required readings for this unit are available to enrolled students through the unit iLearn site, and at Macquarie University's library site.  Electronic copies of required readings may be accessed through the library or will be made available by other means.  

   

TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED  

  • Computer and internet access are essential for this unit. Basic computer skills and skills in word processing are also a requirement.  

  • This unit has an online presence. Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/  

  • Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient.  

  • Information about IT used at Macquarie University is available at  http://students.mq.edu.au/it_services/  

   

SUBMITTING ASSESSMENT TASKS  

  • All text-based assessment tasks are to be submitted, marked and returned electronically.  This will only happen through the unit iLearn site.   

  • Assessment tasks must be submitted as a MS word document by the due date.  

  • Most assessment tasks will be subject to a 'TurnitIn' review as an automatic part of the submission process.  

  • The granting of extensions is subject to the university’s Special Consideration Policy. Extensions will not be granted by unit conveners or tutors, but must be lodged through Special Consideration: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration  

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/service-desk. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2026.04 of the Handbook