Mapping the Evolution of Peace Leadership in Higher Education Research: A Bibliometric Analysis

This study aims to examine research on peace leadership in higher education in the Scopus database using a bibliometric analysis approach to identify trends and key contributions in this field. A total of 2,750 studies published between 2000 and 2024 were initially identified, while only 229 were included in the final analysis. We employed descriptive and bibliometric methods to analyze the identified publications, and the results were visualized using VOSviewer. This analysis revealed a sparse publication record on peace leadership in higher education from 2000 to 2013, followed by a rapid rise between 2017 and 2024. Studies from the United Kingdom have the highest citations, and Johan Galtung emerged as a central figure of the network due to his influential contributions to peace research. The most common keyword was “peacebuilding,” while “conflict,” “violence,” “education,” and “peace education” were also frequently used in peace leadership in higher education research. This analysis highlights the growing academic interest in peace leadership in higher education, providing insights into influential researchers, citation trends, and thematic areas. This can guide future research and policymaking in peace studies. Using bibliometric analysis in this study provides a comprehensive overview of the trends in peace leadership research in higher education.