Zurich, September 6, 2005 – The internationally renowned Balzan Foundation has named its four Prize Winners for 2005. Each prize has a value of 1 million Swiss francs. Honoured for their outstanding contributions to knowledge are the married couple Dr. Rosemary and Prof. Peter R. Grant, the team Dr. Russell J. Hemley and Dr. Ho-kwang (David) Mao, Prof. Dr. Lothar Ledderose as well as Prof. Dr. Sir Peter Hall. The names were announced by the Foundation’s Prize Committee at a media conference in Milan (Italy). The Prize Award Ceremony will take place on November 11 in the Swiss Houses of Parliament in Berne.
This year’s Prize Winners receive the awards for their achievements in the following fields:
– Population biology: Dr. Rosemary and Prof. Peter R. Grant
(Great Britain), Princeton University, USA
– Mineral physics: Dr. Russell J. Hemley und Dr. Ho-kwang (David) Mao
(USA) Carnegie Institution of Washington, USA
– History of the art of Asia: Prof. Dr. Lothar Ledderose (Germany)
Ruprechts-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Germany
– Social and cultural history of cities since the beginning of the 16th
century: Prof. Dr. Sir Peter Hall (Great Britain), Bartlett School of
Architecture and Planning, University College London, Great Britain
The International Balzan Foundation was established in 1956 by Angela Lina Balzan in memory of her father, Eugenio Balzan, who for many years was co-publisher of the Italian newspaper “Corriere della Sera”. The Foundation, with headquarters in Zurich (Switzerland) and Milan, fosters outstanding achievements worldwide in science and culture, as well as humanitarian endeavours for peace. Four prizes worth one million Swiss francs each are awarded every year for natural sciences, humanities, social sciences and art. The special prize of two million Swiss francs for humanitarian and peacemaking activities is awarded every three to five years, last time in 2004.
Since 1961, one hundred and four scientists, scholars, artists and institutions have been honoured with the Balzan Prize. Prize Winners include Mother Teresa, the Nobel Foundation, Paul Hindemith, Armand Borel, Jean Piaget and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Prize winners are required to devote half of the prize money to projects involving young researchers.
Further up-to-date information at www.balzan.com. Digital pictures of the prize winners available on request through PR&D.
Further information:
International Balzan Foundation
Luisa Bürkler-Giussani
Claridenstrasse 35
PO Box 2448
CH-8022 Zurich, Switzerland
Phone: +41 1 201 48 22
Fax: +41 1 201 48 29
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.balzan.com
PR&D – Public Relations for Research and Development
Media office of the Balzan Foundation in Austria
Till C. Jelitto
Campus Vienna Biocenter 2
A-1030 Vienna, Austria
Phone: +43 1 505 70 44
E-mail: [email protected]
