Dr. Edward (Edy) Kaufman has served as the Executive Director of the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem since 1983. He is a Senior Research Associate at CIDCM since 1991, having served as the Center's director in 1994 -1996.
Dr. Kaufman has dedicated a great part of his time and effort to applied research, the teaching and training of conflict resolution and human rights in Israel and worldwide. Through his involvement in human rights and peace organizations, Kaufman has endeavored through the years to contribute to the international citizens lobby on both issues. At the global level, he has served for many years as a member of the International Executive Committee of the Nobel Peace Laureate, Amnesty International and the Committee for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility. He continues to serve on the Advisory Board of Human Rights Watch/Middle East.
Within Israel he served as Honorary Secretary of the Council for Jews in Arab Countries and is the outgoing Chair of the Carter-Merill Human Rights Award winning organization B'tselem.
Dr. Kaufman holds BA and MA degrees in Political Science, International Relations and Sociology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a PhD from the University of Paris (The Sorbonne) and did post-doctorate studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He has received several universities and public awards, including in 2014 a Doctorate Honoris Causa from the Universidad de la Republica Del Uruguay.
He has authored and co-authored 13 books and more than seventy academic articles in the general area of international relations, with an emphasis on human rights and conflict resolution topics, and regional specializations on Latin America and the Middle East, having co-authored in the latter area with eight Arab and Palestinian colleagues. He has taught in leading eight U.S. and Israeli universities as well as conducted workshops and lectured in over 40 countries and 50 North American universities.
His current action research and advocacy interest are in merging the paradigms of human rights and conflict resolution. He has increasingly worked, published and co-authored with young academics to stimulate their advancement.