Business, Peace and Sustainable Development 5 June 2015 © Greenleaf Publishing 2015 53 Peace Dialogue Some Observations on the Practical Peace Scholar Topher McDougal University of San Diego, USA The ongoing quantitative revolution in the fields of Peacebuilding and Peace Studies contextualises the rise of the ‘Practical Scholar’. It has boosted the demand for quan- titatively competent peace scholars, luring them into the world of the consultant—that is, the private sector. I argue that the practical scholar model is somewhat distinct from the ‘Scholar-Practitioner’ model that has so captivated the pedagogy of Peace Studies. I describe four principal tensions that characterise practical scholarship in this field: (1) the practical versus theoretical importance of programme research; (2) (financial) dependence versus (scientific) independence of the researcher; (3) proper research procedures and protocols versus producing deliverables on a timeline; and (4) independent consulting versus collaborative university–NGO partnerships. O Practical scholar O Peace research O Quantitative methods O Consultant A few years ago, johan gal- tung, often credited as the founder or godfather of Peace Studies, visited the Kroc School of Peace Studies. Our faculty met with him and I was intro- duced as ‘the economist’. We had a pleasant talk and, when the meeting drew to a close, Galtung drew me aside and asked: ‘You know the best part of being an economist, Topher?’ A few possible answers sprang to mind, but I said no, I had no idea. Galtung answered his own question: ‘You can always become an ex-economist!’ And the twinkle in his eye playfully hinted that I had just wasted the last 12 or so years of my life. And while as a rule one should avoid analysing humour, especially when it is of Norwegian provenance, I think that comment was funny because economists are routinely seen by many (including, apparently, the godfather DOI: [10.9774/GLEAF.8757.2015.ju.00005]