The realization of a more peaceful world requires not just a cessation of conflict but clear insight into the causes of war and division, effective, principled approaches to preventing and resolving conflicts, and far reaching vision and strategies which uplift free and prosperous civil societies rooted in liberty. These needed approaches are advanced through civil society engagement and scholarship contributing to healthy debate and long-term solutions addressing intractable conflicts, with recognition of shared values and interests as members of the human community. Visionary scholarship is rooted in evidence and hearkens to new possibilities beyond conventional thinking through application of timeless principles. The Innovative Scholarship for Peace Award recognizes an individual whose outstanding scholarly work has positively contributed to security, peace, and social reconciliation and led to policy initiatives that have advanced peace and human development.

Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D., is the Founder, Chairman of the Asian Studies Center, and Chung Ju-yung Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, one of the nation’s leading research and public policy institutions located in Washington, DC. Dr. Feulner was awarded the Gwanghwa Medal, Order of Diplomatic Service by the President and National Assembly of Korea, and the Presidential Citizen Award, the secondhighest civilian award in the United States, conferred by President Ronald Reagan. He has received honors from the governments of Taiwan and South Korea, among others. He is the author of eight books, with a concentration in East Asian affairs and a contributor to numerous journals and magazines. An expert on Korea, Dr. Feulner has spoken on many topics such as the “Role of Civil Society and Global Cooperation in Furthering a Unified Korea,” and at a GPF forum at the U.S.-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, “The Power of Freedom in Addressing the Divided Human Family: Empowering the Voice of North Korean Defectors.”