Written by Dr Jasmin Ramovic

In a recent SOSS Scholarship Showcase, I gave a presentation on experiential learning, focusing on field trips I have organised as part of POLI71102 Practical Approaches to Studying Conflict-Affected Societies. The module is designed to ensure that students engage with the research setting in a meaningful and ethically responsible way. Rather than approaching the field trip as a passive observational exercise, the emphasis is placed on structured, immersive engagement with the setting. This approach enhances the learning experience by allowing students to apply the research methods they have studied in class within a safe and supportive environment. The module draws on experiential learning pedagogy that emphasises learning through direct experience, active engagement, and critical reflection. This is why we refer to the activity as a research visit rather than a field trip, as the latter term does not capture the depth of inquiry, ethical engagement, and academic rigour that define the experience.

Preparation for the research visit begins in the very first week of the module, when we start discussing our positionality as researchers and the role it plays in shaping the research process, from preparation to implementation and writing up. This reflection continues throughout the module and is especially important during the visit itself. In the following weeks, we cover key qualitative methods through short exercises in class and around campus, focusing on techniques that can be used in the field. The classroom segment also includes an introduction to the context where the visit takes place. This has most often been Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country that even after 30 years of peacebuilding, still hosts a strong presence of international actors, making it a compelling destination for the topics addressed in the programme.

During the first few days of the research visit, students attend plenary meetings with various interlocutors involved in peacebuilding. These sessions serve partly as training for the individual research students conduct in the remaining days. Each day begins with a briefing on the institutions and organisations we will visit, and ends with a debriefing session where we reflect on the use of methods in practice, what went well, and what could be improved in the remaining days of the visit.

Upon return, the students are supposed to write a short research paper based on the research they conducted during the visit. Over the years, they have focused on topics such as civil society, gender, economy, children of war, religion, music, informal groups in peacebuilding, environmental actors, media, transitional justice, mine clearance, among others.

Organising a research visit to a conflict-affected setting involves a range of practical and institutional challenges, including coordination across university services, managing travel logistics, maintaining relationships with field contacts, and ensuring student wellbeing throughout. Despite these demands, the outcomes are profoundly rewarding. Students often describe the experience as eye-opening and transformative, noting how it deepens their understanding of peace dynamics and supports both personal and academic development. Such reflections affirm the pedagogical value of experiential learning, particularly in fostering deeper epistemological awareness and reflexivity in the study of conflict-affected settings.