Peace and conflict

Maia Hallward, ’98, has a career ambition most only dream about: international cooperation and understanding. International travel as a child — including to the Middle East — fed her dedication to fostering cross-cultural connections. She is now director of the doctoral program in international conflict management at Kennesaw State University.

“I was raised Quaker, so I’ve always had an interest in peace and conflict studies,” Hallward said. “My parents have a letter I wrote to the [United States] president as a 5-year-old — I don’t know, probably about nuclear weapons — and so it’s been something that I’ve always had on my radar.”

After graduating with interdisciplinary majors in international studies and leadership studies, Hallward taught at a Quaker school in Ramallah in the West Bank. This experience, she said, deepened her understanding of the diversity of Middle Eastern societies and how different the situation on the ground can be from its portrayal abroad.

“Someone asked me what side I was on,” Hallward said. “My answer was: I’m on the side of the people who try to see the humanity in the other.”

Now, as a professor and researcher, Hallward specializes in civil society groups working for social and political change in the Middle East. She emphasizes the importance of understanding historical context: “We have to remember that the United States is a baby compared to most Middle Eastern societies and cultures,” she said, highlighting the need for cultural humility in international relations.

“I try very hard to meet people where they are and recognize the struggles different people have while also keeping an eye towards the humanity, justice, and dignity of their story,” Hallward said.

Hallward draws inspiration from her former University of Richmond professors. “I regularly think about them in my own teaching and research,” she said. “I remember what was meaningful and what I aspire to be as a professor and academic.”