Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, an industrial engineer turned democracy activist, has become the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The announcement sparked frustration within the MAGA movement, as US President Donald Trump had been hoping to receive the honour this year. Trump and his administration had faced increasing pressure on Norway ahead of the verdict, with 76 per cent of all bets placed on the prize backing the US leader.The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced 338 candidates for the 2025 prize, with 24 organisations among the nominees. The award, which carries significant global prestige, recognises individuals and organisations working towards peace and democracy. Over the past five years, laureates have come from diverse academic backgrounds, ranging from journalism and philology to engineering and physics, demonstrating that the pursuit of peace transcends traditional educational boundaries.Maria Ressa: Princeton-educated journalist and press freedom advocateFilipino-American journalist Maria Ressa graduated cum laude from Princeton University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and certificates in theatre and dance. She was later awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study political theatre at the University of the Philippines Diliman, where she also taught journalism courses as a faculty member. Ressa received the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Dmitry Muratov for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace. As co-founder and CEO of Rappler, a prominent news website in the Philippines, Ressa has faced multiple legal battles, including cyberlibel convictions widely viewed as politically motivated attacks on press freedom. She is currently a Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.Dmitry Muratov: Philology graduate and fearless Russian editorRussian journalist Dmitry Muratov studied at the Faculty of Philology at Kuibyshev (now Samara) State University for five years, where he discovered his interest in journalism. After graduating in 1983, he served in the Soviet Army for two years as a communication equipment security specialist. Co-founder and former editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, Muratov shared the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize with Ressa. Under his leadership, Novaya Gazeta became Russia’s only truly critical newspaper with national influence, known for investigating governmental corruption, human rights violations and electoral fraud. Six of the newspaper’s journalists were killed during Muratov’s tenure. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the newspaper suspended operations after receiving warnings from Russian authorities.Ales Bialiatski: Fighting for democracy from behind barsBelarusian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski received the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize alongside Russian organisation Memorial and Ukrainian group Centre for Civil Liberties. The award to Bialiatski, who remains in prison having been jailed without trial in 2021 for his role in pro-democracy protests, reflected the value of civil society against dictatorial powers adopted by Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko in 2016. Bialiatski founded the human rights organisation Viasna in 1996 and has documented thousands of cases of political persecution in Belarus. His imprisonment at the time of the award placed him amongst a rare group of laureates who received the prize whilst incarcerated.Academically, Bialiatski is a scholar of Belarusian literature and graduated from Homiel State University in 1984 with a degree in Russian and Belarusian Philology. Early in his career, he worked as a schoolteacher in the Lielcycy District of the Gomel Region. From 1985 to 1986, he served in the Soviet army as an armoured vehicle driver in an anti-tank artillery battalion near Yekaterinburg (then Sverdlovsk), Russia. His lifelong dedication to human rights has made him a symbol of resistance and intellectual integrity in the face of authoritarian rule.Narges Mohammadi: Physicist championing women’s rights in IranIranian women’s rights activist Narges Mohammadi won the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran. She attended Qazvin International University, receiving a degree in physics, and became a professional engineer. A physicist by education, Mohammadi served as deputy head of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre in Tehran. Just as Mohammadi’s 2023 award represents the struggle of all Iranian women against oppression, it highlighted the fight against declining democracy around the world. She was imprisoned at the time of her award, marking her as the fifth laureate under arrest when honoured. Mohammadi has endured years of imprisonment, torture and harassment for her activism, including campaigns against the death penalty and for women’s rights in Iran.Nihon Hidankyo: Survivors bearing witness to nuclear horrorThe 2024 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, an organisation of survivors from the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Unlike individual laureates with specific academic credentials, Nihon Hidankyo represents a collective voice of hibakusha—atomic bomb survivors—who have dedicated their lives to abolishing nuclear weapons. Through their testimonies and advocacy, these survivors have educated the world about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear warfare, making them living educators in the truest sense.María Corina Machado: Industrial engineer defending democracyMachado received the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy. An industrial engineer by training, Machado founded Súmate, a Venezuelan civil association, and later became leader of Vente Venezuela. Her engineering background has informed her systematic approach to political activism, viewing democratic governance as a system requiring constant, principled maintenance. Despite enduring political persecution, exile and bans from holding office, she has remained a unifying figure in Venezuela’s fractured opposition movement.
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