Summer Peace University 2026
Third edition of the international programme promoted by IsCaPI – Istituto Calabrese di Politiche Internazionali, held in Belvedere Marittimo (Calabria, Italy) from 5 to 16 October 2026.
At a glance
The edition
SPU 2026 ran for two weeks, organised in two thematic modules:
- Week 1 (5–9 October): The Mediterranean as a Crossroads of Peace and Civilization.
- Week 2 (12–16 October): Cultural Geopolitics, Humanistic Technology and Spirituality.
The programme combined morning lessons, afternoon workshops, the Peace Lab diplomatic simulation, public forums and community life in the village. Each participant wrote a Local Peace Project, a Peace Memo for each week and a contribution to the AI Charter, which feeds into the White Paper.
The programme counted 20 lessons, 3 workshops, 4 Peace Lab sessions, the public forum and the closing ceremony, for a total of 44 hours.
Participants
28 students attended the programme in Belvedere Marittimo (15 women and 13 men), together with 5 alumni of previous editions who followed lessons and activities.
| University | Country | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Galala University | Egypt | 13 |
| May University in Cairo (MUC) | Egypt | 5 |
| Arab Open University | Egypt | 4 |
| Heliopolis University | Egypt | 2 |
| University of Social and Media Culture in Toruń (AKSiM) | Poland | 2 |
| Universidad Nacional de Río Negro (UNRN) | Argentina | 1 |
| Not affiliated | – | 1 |
By country of origin: Egypt (23), Poland (2), Argentina (1), Spain (1), Yemen (1).
Certificates of participation were issued to 27 students, 5 alumni and 4 members of the faculty. The certificate requires attendance of at least 80% of the programme.
Faculty and speakers
The academic programme was coordinated by Dr. Pavel Malyzhenkov. Lessons and workshops were given by:
- Ahmed Elshazly: Sustainability and Environmental Security
- Spartaco Pupo: The Dilemmas of Peace
- Radwa Ibrahim Ali Hassan Ali: Information Integrity and Cognitive Security
- Przemysław Pawlak (AKSiM Toruń): Principles of Project Management
- Amedeo Argentiero (University of Salerno): Multipolarity and Indo-Pacific Strategies
- Pavel Malyzhenkov: Local Peace Project design, stakeholders and sustainable development
- Rania Mohamed Abdel Mageed (May University in Cairo): Human Values, Ethics and Dialogue
- Nicola Leone (former Rector, University of Calabria): Artificial Intelligence and Human Responsibility
- Shadwa Esmat Abdelkader Hassan (Galala University): Social Accountability, from Principles to Practice
- Salvatore La Porta (IsCaPI): Peace Leadership Skills
- Domenico Michele Surace (Academy of Fine Arts of Reggio Calabria): Art as a Universal Language
- Maria Carmela Passarelli (University of Calabria): From Roots to Growth
- Ana Moran: International Trade, Market Diversification and South-South Cooperation
The public forum of 9 October also brought Mohamed Elshinawi (Galala University), Abdelaziz Rhandi (University of Salerno), Lorenzo Del Boca (Figec) and Pietro Sacchetti (Academy of Fine Arts of Reggio Calabria) to Belvedere Marittimo, with closing remarks by Senator Tilde Minasi.
Public events
- 9 October – Public Forum «The Mediterranean, Crossroads of Peace, Cultures and Civilisations», Palazzo della Curia Regale, Belvedere Marittimo, preceded by an advanced training course for journalists organised with Figec and the Calabria Order of Journalists.
- 14 October – Peace Talk at Palazzo della Curia Regale.
- 16 October – Closing Forum «New Global Equilibriums and the Future of Peace», with the presentation of the students’ Local Peace Projects and the closing ceremony.
Results
Local Peace Projects
27 students wrote a Local Peace Project, 24 of which were formally submitted by the end of the course. Each project names a local need, the Sustainable Development Goal it addresses and the indicator used to measure change. The most frequent goals were SDG 4 Quality Education (10 projects), SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (5), SDG 3 Good Health (3) and SDG 12 Responsible Consumption (3). The projects will be implemented after the students return home, followed by referents at Galala University, May University in Cairo, Heliopolis University, Arab Open University and UNRN.
White Paper
The SPU26 White Paper, in three parts, collects the students’ reflections and proposals and is published in English and Italian. It will be sent, with the Local Peace Projects, to United Nations agencies, the European Commission and partner universities.
AI Charter and Peace Memos
Students drafted individual contributions to an AI Charter, under the supervision of Rania Mohamed Abdel Mageed, and wrote Peace Memos reflecting on each week of the programme.
Institutional support and partners
SPU 2026 was held under the patronage of the European Parliament Office in Italy, the Representation of the European Commission in Italy, the Calabria Region, the Regional Council of Calabria and the Municipality of Belvedere Marittimo. Figec – Federazione Italiana Giornalismo Editoria Comunicazione and Giornalisti Italia supported the communication programme.
Media coverage
The 2026 edition was covered by 14 press articles (Giornalistitalia, StrettoWeb, Cosenza Channel, CalabriaMagnifica, CalabriaPost, CosenzaOk, Metis 2.0, Figec and the Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, among others) and by two TV and video features (RAI 3 TGR Calabria, «Buongiorno Regione»; LaC Play). The full list is available in the Press Review and In the Media sections.
Next steps
- Implementation of the Local Peace Projects in the students’ home communities, with follow-up by the partner universities.
- Distribution of the White Paper to institutions and partners.
- Preparation of the next edition, to be held in Egypt in 2027.