Upward Academic Mobility 2026

How many STAR Circles
have you led or participated in?

Join our vibrant community of scholars and unlock the power of cross border collaboration. Feel proud about the impact you make beyond traditional research metrics.

20,000

Global Community Members

480+

Total STAR Circles

1,840+

Monthly Circle Participants

Upcoming STAR Circles

Active circles currently running or planned for the future. Begin your circle journey today.

STAR Impact Ranking for Institutions

The global index for institutions committed to research, community impact & engagement.

Update Cycle: January 2026
Top 10 STAR Global Institutions
# Institution Country Total Circle Participants
how many circles have individuals from that university participated
Total Circles Run
how many circles have been run, are actively running, or planned
STAR Circle Engagement
circle engagement rate among the individuals from the university
1 Kathmandu University Nepal 342 21 88%
2
The American University in the Emirates 🪙 Global Education for Peace Award Winner
UAE 215 14 91%
3 O.P. Jindal Global University 🪙 Global Education for Peace Award Winner India 187 8 92%
4 Tribhuvan University Nepal 124 6 82%
5
Algoma University 🪙 Global Education for Peace Award Winner
Canada 108 5 85%
6 Morgan State University USA 95 4 79%
7 University of Algiers Algeria 64 2 75%
8 Istanbul Aydin University Turkey 45 1 70%
9 Nepal Open University Nepal 52 2 72%
10 Federal University Wukari Nigeria 38 2 65%

Our Circle Based Core Programs

STAR Research Project: Fellowship Program

Foundational

This STAR Research Project Program centers on a collaborative research and development initiative integrated within the Research Fellowship Program: AI for Academic Writing and Publishing. Over a duration of four weeks, faculty and doctoral students participate in online learning and project execution to develop a full-length academic manuscript or book chapter using generative AI tools. Participants work within guided modules designed to enhance scholarly writing, publication readiness, and peer engagement.

This program ensures collaboration by requiring each fellow to participate in a collective research project contributing to a co-authored journal article or book chapter. Participants also gain practical experience in roles such as editorial board membership or reviewer positions, aligning their contributions with professional engagement in the academic publishing system.

Program Outcomes

  • Have at least one publishable academic manuscript draft by the end of the program.
  • Participate in a collaborative research project contributing to a book chapter or journal article.
  • Be considered for editorial board or reviewer positions.
  • Join the scholarly community with recognition and program discounts.
  • Be equipped with AI competencies to responsibly, ethically, and effectively support academic writing and publishing.

STAR Mentorship: Millennium Scholars Program

Foundational

The STAR Mentorship: Millennium Scholars Program focuses on supporting emerging and early career scholars who identify with a low income, lower-middle income, or upper-middle income country by birth, cultural heritage, or current residence. As the premiere scholarship development program of the STAR Scholars Network, it enables participants to build the network and knowledge required to advance their academic careers and disseminate research to a global audience.

The program is designed with the belief that knowledge does not exist in one individual but grows through interactive engagement among multiple audiences. It uses a network-building approach to support collaboration across disciplinary, national, and career levels through the following components: Peer-To-Peer Support, Professional Development, and Perspectives Roundtables.

STAR Training: Certified Research Scholar

Foundational

The STAR Training: Certified Research Scholar program is a self-driven professional development initiative by the STAR Scholars Network. It prepares STAR members for leadership roles locally and transnationally while aligning their academic work with a mission of global social good.

Program Goals

  • Social-mission driven scholar: Develop a research agenda that foregrounds social justice.
  • Transnationally connected leader: Strengthen publication and presentation skills in multiple languages.
  • Academically driven educator: Improve pedagogical effectiveness using research-integrated teaching.
  • Researcher with ethics & integrity: Design a training program to educate peers responsibly.

STAR Journals & Publications

Foundational

The STAR Scholars Network advances global scholarly engagement by supporting cross-border research publication through internationally recognized open-access journals. The American Journal of STEM Education: Issues and Perspectives and the Journal of International Students serve as leading platforms where global scholars publish empirical research, reviews, and practitioner perspectives.

Contributors engage in a complete publication lifecycle: calls for papers are issued on global themes, authors submit scholarly manuscripts, reviewers evaluate submissions through a double-blind process, and accepted works are published with online-first visibility.

Why Circles Matter?

STAR Circles provide a very simple way to participate, learn, and lead to make an impact, keeping cross-border collaboration at the center. Members begin by participating in STAR Circles run by certified Circle leaders, learn required skills and methodology, then start leading new Circles of their interest and expertise.
Every STAR program now runs as a "Circle": a self-managed cohort where members collaborate on cross-border research, training, or mentorship. These are led by Certified STAR Circle Leaders without needing constant oversight, empowering members to take full ownership of their work.
We are moving beyond traditional metrics like h-index. Instead, we use the "Star Impact Ranking," an activity-based score determined by how many Circles you lead and engage with. This "Move Beyond Metrics & Embrace Impact" philosophy values teaching, sharing ideas, and building valuable cross-border collaborations.
All existing initiatives are now integrated as STAR Programs, all of which will have their respective Circles, including STAR Research Projects (Fellowship Programs), STAR Training (Certified Research Scholar), STAR Mentorship (Millennium Scholars Program), and STAR Journals (Cross-Border Collaboration).
Any researcher or educator can apply or be nominated as a Certified STAR Circle Leader. Once certified, you gain the authority to launch and lead your own Circles. A high Star Impact Ranking is also a path to prestigious awards, including the Noam Chomsky awards.
Dr. Uttam Gaulee

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Vision for 2026: Message from the President

Dr. Uttam Gaulee

Hello STAR family. As we enter 2026, we’re excited to share an important milestone: the launch of our STAR digital platform, bringing our members, programs, & resources into one place. At its core are STAR Circles: focused, goal-driven groups led by STAR leaders, with clear timelines & outcomes.

STAR Circles provide a structured and collaborative way to lead research, mentorship, training, and academic initiatives, while making impact measurable and visible.

I invite country directors, leaders of STAR initiatives, and subject-matter experts across disciplines to take the lead by launching Circles and activating collaboration across regions and fields.

Everything we do moving forward will be organized through STAR Circles. I encourage each of you to visit the STAR platform, create a Circle, and help us advance global research collaboration and academic mobility. Detailed information on STAR Circle is available on our website.

Moving beyond the traditional metrics, we are redefining success by measuring impact at a truly global scale. Thank you, and I look forward to what we will achieve together in the year ahead.