September 21, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
STAR Scholars Network Announces 2026 Global Education for Peace Award, Honoring University for Peace and Macalester College
Recipients named on the United Nations International Day of Peace, marked this year under the theme “Invest in Peace — For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day”
September 21, 2026 — The STAR Scholars Network today announced the recipients of the 2026 Global Education for Peace Award, a prestigious honor recognizing higher education institutions that exemplify an unwavering commitment to advancing peace through education. Each year, the award is announced on the occasion of the United Nations International Day of Peace, observed on September 21.
The award celebrates institutions that embed peace education within their curricula, foster global citizenship, and promote intercultural understanding through innovative teaching and international collaboration — work that mirrors this year’s UN theme, which calls on communities everywhere to invest in the everyday, ground-up work of building peace.
Applications were reviewed by a global selection committee chaired by John C. Weidman, Professor Emeritus of Higher and International Development Education at the University of Pittsburgh. The committee evaluated institutions on the depth, breadth, and measurable impact of their efforts to advance peace education worldwide. Notably, both of this year’s awardees carry significant, direct ties to the United Nations.
This year, two institutions are being honored: University for Peace (UPEACE – Universidad para la Paz), headquartered in San José, Costa Rica, and Macalester College, in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
University for Peace was established in 1980 by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 35/55 with a mandate “to provide humanity with an international institution of higher education for peace.” UPEACE pursues academic excellence at the postgraduate and doctoral level through the systematic, critical study of the causes of the challenges affecting human and global well-being. Through its body of resident and visiting professors, UPEACE trains future leaders in the strategies and practices of peacebuilding and peace formation across diverse global contexts.
Macalester College was among the first higher education institutions in the United States to fly the United Nations flag, and counts among its alumni Kofi Annan, who went on to serve as UN Secretary-General. Internationalism is woven into Macalester’s mission and curriculum, which includes an international general education requirement and an extensive study-away program. Through its Dialogue Across Differences initiative, the college equips students with peacebuilding skills to navigate conflict respectfully, while the Kofi Annan Institute for Global Citizenship integrates local and global community engagement with peacemaking work. Through its International Roundtable series, Macalester students and scholars engage directly with the community on pressing global issues.
“In honoring these exemplary institutions, we celebrate the transformative power of education as the most peaceful revolution the world has ever known,” said Uttam Gaulee, President of the STAR Scholars Network. “Their dedication shows us that the surest path to peace begins in classrooms that dare to imagine a more just and compassionate world.”
The institutional leadership of the University for Peace and Macalester College will be formally honored during an award ceremony at the 2026 STAR Global Conference, hosted by O.P. Jindal Global University in Sonipat, Haryana, India.
For more information about the Global Education for Peace Award, visit starscholars.org/global-education-award.
About STAR Scholars Network: STAR Scholars Network is a global academic community advancing research, scholarship, and cross-border collaboration in higher education.
Media Inquiries: media@starscholars.org