The jury of the 2026 International Prize Grupo Compostela–Xunta de Galicia is meeting on 21 May at 17:00 to decide the individual or institution that will receive this year’s award. This decision carries special significance, as the selected person or entity will become the 30th laureate of an initiative coordinated by the Compostela Group of Universities (CGU) together with the regional government of Galicia, the Xunta de Galicia, in a climate of stable collaboration, affinity, and institutional harmony, promoting research, the recognition of universal values, cultural heritage, and the Camiño de Santiago.
Throughout its long history, the International Prize Grupo Compostela–Xunta de Galicia has honoured 29 laureates, with a distribution and diversity that reflect the plurality and the objectives of concord upheld by its promoters. To date, around 66% of the awards have gone to men, 10% to women, and 24% to institutions. The most represented sectors have been those linked to culture, heritage, and the Camiño de Santiago, which account for approximately 31% of the recognitions, followed by fields related to politics, European governance, and diplomacy, which together make up nearly 28%. Between 7% and 18% of the awardees come from areas such as the humanities, international outreach, humanitarian action, or justice. All of them share a common denominator, namely public service and a commitment to the ideals of coexistence.
The jury is chaired by the president of the Xunta de Galicia, Alfonso Rueda, who serves as honorary president, and by the regional minister of Education, Science, Universities and Vocational Training, Román Rodríguez, who holds the acting presidency. The president of the Compostela Group of Universities, Carla Martins, serves as vice-president. The panel is completed by the secretary-general for Universities, José Alberto Díez de Castro, the director-general for Culture, Anxo Lorenzo, and two rectors from the network, who this year are Jeri Ramón and Mathieu Kessler, representing the National University of San Marcos (Peru) and the Technical University of Cartagena (Spain), respectively. The presence of the rector of the University of Santiago de Compostela, Rosa Crujeiras, stands out as an ex officio member of the jury, due to the historic role of the Compostela-based institution in the creation and consolidation of the CGU and its constant support for this initiative. The position of secretary is held by María Teresa Carballeira, as the network’s executive secretary.
The jury’s decision will be announced in the days following the meeting, and the award ceremony will take place on 14 September at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (Poland), during the XXXII CGU General Assembly.
