Robert Dibie, Ph.D., vice provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies at Fort Valley State University, was honored with the 2023 Peace Education Award from the Board of the Center for African Peace and Conflict Resolution at California State University Sacramento.

The award recognizes Dibie’s exemplary leadership and outstanding contributions to impactful research and publications on peace, security, and social governance in Africa. Over the past three decades, Professor Dibie has distinguished himself as a successful academic administrator, accomplished scholar, and peace educator. He has been engaged in a holistic process that includes teaching about democracy and human rights, nonviolence, social and economic justice, gender equality, environmental sustainability, disarmament, traditional peace practices, international law, and human security. He has been involved in many conflict resolution education initiatives in the United States, Western Europe, Caribbean Islands, and many African nations.

Dibie is a two-time recipient of the prestigious Carnegie Fellowship Award from the Institute of International Education in Washington, D.C. He has also received the Distinguished Professor and Scholar Award, Multicultural Distinguished Fellowship Award, and Distinguished Teaching Professor Award. At national and international conferences, some of his research papers have received the “Best Paper Award” in public policy and public administration. He was the editor of “The Journal of International Politics and Development” for eight years. He has presented more than 120 research papers at national and international conferences and given over 35 keynote addresses in various countries. He was a major contributor to the “Global Encyclopedia of Public Policy and Public Administration.” Dibie has also conducted several executive leadership training workshops for bank administrators, law enforcement officers, and public and nonprofit organizations’ directors and managers.

Professor Dibie has published 12 books, 25 book chapters, and more than 120 research articles in peer-reviewed journals. Several of his book chapters and journal articles cover topics in peace education, economic development policy, development administration, health policy, gender equality, sustainable development, development administration, public management, leadership and administrative ethics, conflict management, women’s empowerment, environmental policy, and capacity building.

During his award acceptance speech, attendees were intrigued when Dibie stated that “Violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem; it creates new and more complicated ones. Therefore, we all must collaborate and engage in conflict resolution to create peace.”

His leadership’s cornerstones are listening, valuing diverse perspectives, consensus building, conflict management, ensuring transparency, applying common sense, collaborative problem-solving, and remaining grounded in the moral imperative.