News & projects

Are you a Dutch student under 27 years old? Are you interested in peace studies, environment and sustainability, or international law? Do you want to study for at a UN-affiliated university in Costa Rica?
Apply for the UPEACE The Hague scholarship, and receive up to €30,000 to support your studies.

Applications for the UPEACE The Hague Scholarship for the 2026-2027 academic year are now open!

MAY 2025

In May 2025 we held the second webinar for students interested in studying at UPEACE Costa Rica and the UPEACE Centre The Hague scholarship. The Webinar was well received, with participants joining from all over Europe. As of 2025 we are happy to announce we have three new students who have received the UPEACE The Hague scholarship.

March 2025

In March 2025 we held the first webinar for students interested in studying at UPEACE Costa Rica and the UPEACE Centre The Hague scholarship. The Webinar was well received, with participants joining from all over Europe. As of 2025 we are happy to announce we have three new students who have received the UPEACE The Hague scholarship.

Over the Spring of 2025, a lecture series was organized to explore the intersection of peacebuilding, artificial intelligence, and technology. The events brought together global experts, practitioners, and students to share insights and engage in meaningful dialogue. Below is a brief overview of the sessions and outcomes.

These three Dutch students qualified for the scholarships provided by Upeace The Hague. They travelled to Costa Rica in August and started their academic studies at Upeace in September. Their first experiences below - NB for privacy reasons we don't mention their names. 

In line with the interests of the many participants the webinar focussed on: 1. what studying at Upeace brings the student, 2. the perspective of an alumna, 3. the admission process and 4. the funding. It included presentations of Juan Carlos Sainz-Borgo, vice rector, Marjolein Schaap, professor, Angela Willis, Registrar, and Board members of Upeace The Hague. View the full webinar or view the most important parts.

7 June 2021 – Chairman Robert Serry of UPEACE Centre The Hague (UPH) was received today by the ambassador of Costa Rica in the Netherlands, Arnoldo Brenes Castro, to explore possible fields of cooperation. Surprisingly, it appeared that the ambassador was already well acquainted with the work of the University for Peace in Costa Rica.

4 May 2021 – Linking The Hague with Costa Rica, Brussels and Geneva, UPEACE Centre The Hague (UPH) held a successful webinar to present the University for Peace to prospective Master students. The online event included a debate on the role of quiet diplomacy in international relations as a means to (try to) resolve conflicts through informal contacts.

27 May 2020 – It is not too late for Member states of the European Union to unite against Israel’s planned annexation of Palestinian territories on the West Bank. This was argued by Robert Serry, chairman of UPEACE Centre The Hague, in an op-ed published in Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad.

27 February 2020 – At an academic meeting in Moscow, chairman Robert Serry of UPEACE Centre The Hague (UPH) presented the work of the United Nations in international conflict resolution, stressing that the UN’s efforts are too important to be marginalised. Serry also highlighted the possibilities of Track II Dialogues to overcome conflicts.

UPEACE students of the Class of 2019 were treated to a special guest at the university campus in the first weeks of their study year. Chairman Robert Serry of UPEACE Centre The Hague joined them during the month of October for a course on the United Nations.

All across the world, students are training and engaging in Model United Nations meetings, where they take up the role of a national delegation at the UN Security Council to debate current international issues. At a recent discussion with UPEACE Centre The Hague, members of LeidenMUN from Leiden University in the Netherlands were able to learn about their counterparts on the other side of the globe: the MUN of students at the UPEACE University for Peace in Costa Rica.

The chairman of UPEACE Centre The Hague, Robert Serry, has issued an open letter together with 24 European politicians and former leaders, expressing concern over the present US policy on the Israel-Palestinian conflict. The letter, that was published by the UK newspaper The Guardian on Monday, urges the European Union to reaffirm its support for a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians.

What’s it like to study at the University for Peace (UPEACE) in Costa Rica? More than 200 Dutch students found out on 8 March 2019 at an event organised by UPEACE Centre The Hague. The meeting took place in the new building of the Supreme Court of The Netherlands (Hoge Raad) in The Hague. Our special guest was the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Sigrid Kaag, who delivered a keynote speech.

UPEACE Centre The Hague will bring together Dutch Minister Sigrid Kaag, hundreds of Dutch students and alumni of the University for Peace for a unique event on March 8. This meeting will take place within the building of the highest juridical instance of the country: the Supreme Court of the Netherlands in The Hague.

UPEACE Centre The Hague (UPH) presented a report in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Wednesday, October 17th, 2018, on the options and possibilities for deploying a UN peace-keeping force in the Eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas. 

An interview with Robert Serry, chairman of UPEACE Centre The Hague, following his visit to Costa Rica's University for Peace. He returned with a special deal for students from Europe: a big reduction on the tuition fee, and the possibility for an internship with the United Nations.

In line with UPH’s focus on water diplomacy issues, UPH Chairman Robert Serry took part in the Water & Peace Seminar organized by the IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education. In a keynote speech on 18 January 2018, he offered a “diplomat’s perspective” on transboundary water diplomacy, focusing on the water and sanitation crisis in Gaza.

What made Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations, change his mind within one year on water? In March 2001 he told the world: “Fierce competition for fresh water may well become a source of conflict and wars in the future”. And in January 2002 he said: “the water problems of our world need not be only a cause of tension; they can also be a catalyst for cooperation….. If we work together, a secure and sustainable water future can be ours”.

New chairman Robert Serry highlights plans and ambitions for UPEACE Centre The Hague

During his long international career, Robert Serry has seen eye to eye with opposing parties in various conflict zones. These experiences inspired him to join UPEACE Centre The Hague as its new chairman in October 2017. His main goal for the Centre is to promote learning programmes in conflict management studies that bring together both academicians and practitioners.