Growing up as an Afghan child in Afghanistan and Pakistan, UNCG Peace & Conflict Studies alumna Saira Noori was no stranger to violence. What she couldn’t understand was the chaos around her.
“”I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t go to school because there was a civil war, and why warlords, tribes, and nations were in constant conflict.”
Saira Noori, 2020 UNCG Alumna
Later, as a teenager living in Kansas City, witnessing poverty, discrimination, and inequality in underprivileged communities left Saira with even more questions about human behavior.
Since graduating in 2020, Saira’s entire worldview has transformed. She no longer sees conflict as an arbitrary force that just happens to us. Instead, she understands the systemic root causes and conditions that drive it. This program didn’t just give her a degree; it gave her the tools to actively build a better society.
“I finally found the answers I was looking for while working in Afghanistan as a linguist for the US military. During a break while living in Fort Bragg North Carolina, I discovered the Bachelor’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies at UNCG. I knew instantly it was the key to understanding both myself and the world.”
Saira Noori, 2020 UNCG Alumna
“Using what I learned, I have helped displaced Afghan and Ukrainian refugees navigate the immigration process to secure pathways to citizenship. I have also had the privilege of working directly with street youth and the homeless populations. I currently serve on a restorative justice panel in Kansas City. Furthermore, this specialized knowledge has opened significant career doors, leading to direct recruitment and employment opportunities with the military and various federal agencies.”
Ultimately, Peace and Conflict Studies is a wellness degree. It brings peace to your own life while equipping you to bring wellness to others. If you want a degree that doesn’t just explain the world’s problems, but empowers you to solve them, this program at UNCG is exactly that—and so much more.