Conflict and Choice of Study at University Level: Evidence from Pakistan

Abbas Ali Gillani, University of Lincoln, UKFollow
Xiaocheng Hu, University of Exeter, UKFollow

Abstract

Conflict, and violence related events have been found to have significant effects on the cognitive thinking and mental well-being of individuals. Although there is ample evidence suggesting negative association of conflict with schooling outcomes, there is non-existent research on how violence can impact degree choices made by students at the university level. By using university level admissions data between 2014 and 2016 from Pakistan, this paper examines the differential in preference for degree choices of students who live in conflict-affected areas compared to students who live in conflict-free areas. The results show that students exposed to violence were less likely to apply to a mathematics pre-requisite degree when compared to students living in conflict-free districts. Future research should focus on the mechanisms through which conflict impacts choice of degree at university level, which in return may be associated with differential in labor market outcomes.

Author Bio(s)

Abbas A. Gillani, University of Lincoln, UK. E-mail address: agillani@lincoln.edu.pk.

Xiaocheng Hu, University of Exeter, UK. E-mail address: x.hu@exeter.ac.uk.

Keywords

Keywords: Conflict; violence; degree choice; student performance.

Recommended Citation

Gillani, Abbas Ali and Hu, Xiaocheng (2023) "Conflict and Choice of Study at University Level: Evidence from Pakistan," Peace and Conflict Studies: Vol. 30: No. 1, Article 5.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/pcs/vol30/iss1/5