Dr. Pedro Danilo Ponciano Núñez, President of the Pierre de Coubertin Committee of Guatemala, has been awarded the Developing Country Scholar Award 2026 by AIESEP.

This international distinction recognises Dr Ponciano’s scholarly contributions from the Global South and reinforces the presence of Guatemala and Latin America within international academic and educational networks in physical education and sport pedagogy.

This recognition highlights the active participation of members of the International Pierre de Coubertin Committee in international academic and educational networks related to physical education, sport pedagogy and Olympic education.

AIESEP (International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education) is a leading international academic organisation, founded in 1962, which promotes high-quality research in physical education, sport pedagogy and physical activity. It brings together universities and scholars from all regions of the world and plays a key role in advancing international research agendas, academic collaboration and professional development through its World Congresses and scientific networks.

The award will be formally presented during the AIESEP World Congress 2026, to be held from 15 to 19 June at the National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, Taiwan. The Congress, organised by AIESEP in collaboration with National Taiwan Normal University and the University of Melbourne, will focus on the theme “Dialogues on Knowledge across Cultures”, highlighting intercultural and transcultural perspectives in physical education, sport pedagogy and related fields.