The Centre was established within the School of Politics and International Studies in January 1998 to promote research on societies that are or have been deeply divided in terms of their ethnic and national identities. The Centre's location, Northern Ireland, itself is a striking example of such a deeply divided society. The city of Belfast provides an especially appropriate setting for the study of the problems that a deep division in society gives rise to, even in the conditions of relative peace that have prevailed since 1994 (when the major paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland proclaimed ceasefires).

The School is the leading place in the world for the study of the politics of Northern Ireland, with more staff engaged in research on this question than in any other third-level institution in Ireland or anywhere else. The School also contains on its staff a considerable number of specialists on other deeply divided societies in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The Centre links together members of staff interested in exploring the problems of deeply divided societies in a comparative and international perspective, whether the area they specialise on is Northern Ireland or a society further afield. These members of staff constitute one of the most important research clusters in the School of Politics and International Studies. They furnish most of the expertise that goes into the teaching of the School's MA programme on Comparative Ethnic Conflict. A list of these members of staff is provided on the page on staffing, where there are links to details of the research interests of the individuals listed.

The Centre hosts public lectures and seminars in its field. It has also hosted visits from groups from other institutions such as George Mason University and has put on conferences, including a colloquium of the International Political Science Association's research committee on politics and ethnicity. Further details on these activities can be found on other pages on this site.