The University of Alderaan, also known as Alderaan University, was a renowned university located in the capital of the planet Alderaan, Aldera. The epicenter of the Alderaanian education system, the institution had a successful philosophy of isolation to allow students to contemplate their studies. After the destruction of Alderaan by the Galactic Empire in 0 BBY, a former student of the university served Aldera Meatpies that she had learned to cook there on the planet Tepasi, leading to the university being mentioned by chef Strono Tuggs as part of a recipe for the pies in his third cookbook, The Ultimate Cookbook.

Description[]

The University of Alderaan,^[3] also known as Alderaan University, was a university in Aldera, the capital city of the Core Worlds planet Alderaan.^[2]

History[]

The University of Alderaan was the epicenter of Alderaan's education system, which was central to Alderaanian society. It was one of the many medical, academic, and research institutions that attracted experts and students from across the galaxy to Aldera,^[4] with some of the galaxy's brightest minds having been educated at the institution. The philosophy behind the renowned university was to provide isolation from the world so that its students could contemplate their studies, an approach that proved so successful that it led to the Ithorians and several other species requesting permission to build their own schools around the original nucleus of the University of Alderaan.^[2]

One student studying to cook at the university learned to make Aldera Meatpies during her time there. After Alderaan was destroyed by the Galactic Empire^[3] in 0 BBY,^[1] the student served the pies while working as a chef on^[3] the planet^[5] Tepasi, where the Artiodac chef Strono Tuggs then tried the dish while on a culinary tour of the galaxy^[3] between 34 ABY and 35 ABY.^[6] After the former student told Tuggs where she had learned to make the dish, Tuggs included a recipe for the pie and mentioned the university in his third cookbook, The Ultimate Cookbook, which was published^[3] in 35 ABY.^[6]

Behind the scenes[]

The University of Alderaan was first mentioned in the current Star Wars canon in "Citizens of Alderaan," an article in the "Weapons & Uniforms" department of the thirty-fourth issue of the Star Wars Helmet Collection magazine, which was published by De Agostini^[7] around December 27, 2015.^[8] The alternate name of Alderaan University was introduced by "Core Worlds, Colonies, the Inner Rim and Expansion Region," a part of De Agostini's Star Wars Encyclopedia line^[2] that was released on June 8, 2022.^[9]

The university originated in the Star Wars Legends continuity, where it was first mentioned and depicted in the 1995 reference book The Illustrated Star Wars Universe, which was written by Kevin J. Anderson and illustrated by Ralph McQuarrie.^[10] It then appeared for the first time in Legends in A. C. Crispin's 1997 novel The Paradise Snare.^[11]

Sources[]

• Star Wars Helmet Collection 34 (Weapons & Uniforms: Citizens of Alderaan) (First mentioned)
• Dawn of Rebellion
• "Core Worlds, Colonies, the Inner Rim and Expansion Region" — Star Wars Encyclopedia (First identified as Alderaan University)
• Star Wars: The Ultimate Cookbook

Notes and references[]