August 6, 2025
By Dadi Darmadi | Photo: Achmad Jatnika
KOTA DEPOK, Indonesia, August 6, 2025 — This week, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) will welcome a luminary in global peacebuilding, Ms. Ekaterina Zagladina, for an intimate discussion, set to begin after lunch on Friday, August 8 2025 in the university’s Rectorate Building.
The event promises a thoughtful exchange on global peace issues, drawing from Ms. Zagladina’s leadership experience as President of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates and Organizations, and will feature campus leaders, faculty deans, scholars, and student representatives in a discussion promoting peace through dialogue and understanding.
“For a campus dedicated to bridging scholarship and global challenges, Ms. Zagladina’s visit is a moment to explore how dialogue can mend a fractured world,” said Prof. Jamhari, the Rector of UIII.
Ms. Zagladina brings a wealth of experience to UIII in Kota Depok. Since 2006, when Nobel Peace Laureate and former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev appointed her president of the Permanent Secretariat of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, she has shaped the Summit into a vital platform for addressing humanity’s toughest issues.
From hosting dialogues in Rome and Bogotá to launching initiatives like the 2012 “Leading by Example” program, which connects young leaders with Nobel Laureates, Ms. Zagladina has fostered conversations on ethnic conflicts, disarmament, and environmental crises. Her mantra, inspired by Gorbachev, is that peace thrives on “unity in diversity,” a principle that resonates deeply in Indonesia’s pluralistic society.
This week’s discussion is expected to draw on her expertise exploring how diplomacy or collaborative networks can tackle issues like migration, poverty, or climate-driven conflicts.
Her credentials are formidable. Trained as an attorney with degrees in International Law and Linguistics from Moscow State University, Ms. Zagladina has held senior legal roles at Ernst & Young, Ruperti Project Services International, and Volkswagen Financial Services of Russia. A member of the Moscow Region Bar Association, she now lives in Paris, where her fluency in Russian, English, Italian, and Spanish allows her to navigate global conversations with ease. Here work has amplified the voices of Nobel Laureates like Maria Ressa and Muhammad Yunus, turning their ideas into actionable frameworks for peace education and leadership.
The need for such leadership is stark. Today’s world grapples with unrelenting challenges: wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan have uprooted millions, leaving communities in crisis.
Climate change drives droughts and floods, sparking migration and resource disputes, while economic disparities fuel unrest from Asia to the Americas. Misinformation, spread through digital platforms, erodes trust, making consensus feel elusive. Yet Ms. Zagladina’s career shows that dialogue can cut through the noise. At a 2021 POP (Protect Our Planet) Movement event, she urged young leaders to act with heart, using their talents to address global problems.
UIII, nestled in the outskirts of Southeast Jakarta, is an ideal setting. With its mission to blend Islamic scholarship and global perspectives, the university echoes Indonesia’s legacy as an emerging leader in interfaith dialogue, seen in initiatives like the World Peace Forum, and the promotion of Wasatiyat Islam. Fresh off hosting the International Conference on Human Fraternity in July, where Ms. Zagladina delivered a standout Luncheon Talk, UIII continues to position itself as a hub for ideas that transcend borders. This limited discussion, designed for close engagement, suits Zagladina’s talent for sparking meaningful conversations over grand speeches.
In a world hungry for hope, Ms. Zagladina’s insights will offer a roadmap, reminding us that peace begins with listening. For those at UIII, it’s a chance to join a conversation that could shape the future. []
Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia
