Teaching Sensitive Issues in an International Classroom: Objectivity, Reflexivity and Emotional Engagement as Virtues

In Peace and Conflict Studies, sensitive issues such as war related atrocities or collective trauma are an integral part of university study programmes and often become central in class discussions. However, touching upon such issues can be challenging for students and course instructors alike. Sensitive issues tend to prompt strong emotional responses, which may overheat the debate or, conversely, stall the discussion, potentially leading to student disengagement and, in the worst case, secondary trauma. The latter risk becomes more tangible in international classrooms, in which students bring diverse life experiences, including from violent conflict settings. Building on the existing literature on teaching sensitive topics in university contexts, this paper reflects on the author’s experience in teaching War and Peace in International Relations in a culturally and ethnically diverse classroom and against the background of the ongoing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Israel's war on Gaza, and violence in the wider Middle East. The paper argues for carefully balancing a strive for objectivity with exercising reflexivity and maintaining emotional engagement as a way for productively addressing sensitive subject matters in class, thus enhancing mutual learning and academic growth.