The President, Mrs McAleese, yesterday officially opened the John Hume building at NUI Maynooth.
The €16 million education and research centre, dedicated to the Nobel prize-winner, includes lecture halls, seminar rooms and teaching and research facilities for the college's 5,500 students.
Mr Hume attended the university in the mid-1950s.
Speaking at the official opening ceremony, Mrs McAleese paid tribute to Mr Hume's peace efforts.
"It is no exaggeration to state that without John Hume there would be no peace process and no Good Friday agreement. Our children have a future, a good future, thanks to his sacrifice, his resilience and his determination," she said.
"In a matter of weeks, John will retire as a member of the European Parliament . . . This building which carries his name will continue to vindicate the role of education and in particular higher education as the engine-room of modern Ireland."
The university also announced the establishment of the John and Pat Hume scholastic awards.
Mr Hume said he was "deeply moved" by the establishment of the new building in his honour.
"I owe a great debt of gratitude for the education I received when I was a student there . . . I owe more to Maynooth than Maynooth owes to me."