PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Centre of Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism (KPCVE) has developed the country’s first dedicated undergraduate course on preventing and countering violent extremism.

The course, titled Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, is a three-credit-hour, 16-week Bachelor of Studies programme designed for seamless integration into government universities across the province, according to Director General of the KP Centre of Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism Dr Qasim Khan.

“The course offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary introduction to the theories, policies and practices of preventing and countering violent extremism,” he told Dawn.

The DG said the initiative was taken on the directives of higher education secretary Dr Mohammad Israr as part of the provincial action plan to promote peace, harmony and social cohesion.

KPCVE chief says draft shared with VCs, academics and college directors for feedback

He said the course examined the conceptual foundations of extremism, radicalisation and terrorism, while exploring the political, ideological, socio-economic, psychological and digital drivers that contributed to violent extremism in diverse contexts.

Dr Khan said that grounded in global scholarship and international best practices, the draft paid particular attention to the country’s security landscape and that of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the historical legacy of conflict in the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), the evolving dynamics of militancy as well as the state and community responses to violent extremism.

According to the draft, the course provides a comprehensive interdisciplinary understanding of violent extremism. It covers foundational concepts, major theories of radicalisation, political, socio-economic and psychological drivers, governance and policy responses, community-based and education-centred approaches, gender dimensions, online radicalisation, counter-narratives, rehabilitation and reintegration of extremists as well as peacebuilding strategies.

Special emphasis is placed on Pakistan- and KP-specific realities, including the legacy of conflict in the erstwhile Fata, the role of indigenous peace mechanisms such as jirga and Pashtunwali, and successful provincial initiatives such as the Sabaoon rehabilitation centres.

Students will critically analyse governance-based, community-driven, educational and strategic communication approaches to preventing and countering violent extremism.

The course integrates theoretical knowledge with applied learning through case studies, policy simulations, research projects and community engagement activities, preparing graduates to contribute meaningfully to peacebuilding, resilience-building and evidence-based policy development in the country and the broader South Asian region.

According to the course’s objectives, thesuccessfulcompletion of the programme will enable students to define and critically distinguish between the concepts of extremism, radicalisation, violent extremism and terrorism, situating them within relevant theoretical and policy frameworks.

Graduates will be able to analyse the political, ideological, socio-economic, psychological and digital drivers of violent extremism at local, national and international levels, with particular reference to Pakistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The course will also enable students to evaluate major theoretical models of radicalisation, including social movement theory, relative deprivation theory, identity-based frameworks and network-based models and assess their explanatory power in diverse contexts.

Students will critically assess the role of governance, rule of law, public policy and institutional reform in preventing and countering violent extremism, including comparative analysis of state responses in Pakistan, the Middle East and Europe.

They will examine the design and effectiveness of community-based, education-centred, youth-focused and gender-sensitive approaches to preventing and countering violent extremism, drawing on evidence from both international programmes and Pakistan-specific interventions.

The course will also help students develop competence in formulating counter-narratives, strategic communication strategies and rehabilitation and reintegration frameworks grounded in international standards and local realities. It will enable graduates to produce policy-relevant written outputs, including research papers, policy briefs and strategic recommendations, in line with academic and professional standards.

The course will further equip students with analytical, critical thinking and civic engagement skills to address real-world challenges related to preventing and countering violent extremism through case-based learning, policy simulations, field activities and community resilience projects.

“The initiative is forward-looking and bridges theory and practice. It aims to prepare the next generation of graduates to contribute meaningfully to peace-building, policy development and community resilience in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and beyond,” says the draft.

It added that by mainstreaming PCVE education in universities, the KPCVE was making a “strategic investment” in the long-term prevention of violent extremism through knowledge, critical thinking and active civic engagement.

The draft said the course stood as a model of how academic institutions could play a proactive role in addressing one of the most pressing security and social challenges facing the province and the country.

Dr Khan told Dawn that the course would be introduced in public and private universities, colleges and other institutions from the next academic year.

He said the draft had already been shared with vice chancellors of public and private universities, academics and directors of colleges for their feedback.

“Once approved, the course will also be shared with other provinces for possible adoption in their respective educational institutions,” he said.

The DG also said that the KPCVE would launch a research fellowship on the course and provide available relevant data to students enrolled in MPhil and PhD programmes.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2026