Indian among UNESCO prizes for science

(November 9, 2009) An Indian professor, a Vietnamese professor, a Tunisian expert in water management and the organization responsible for Spain’s national park system are the winners of three awards by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO’s Director-General presented the prizes last week in Budapest, Hungary, where a three-day World Science Forum was held. The annual Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science has been jointly awarded to Yash Pal of India and Trinh Xuan Thuan of Viet Nam. Professor Pal was recognized for his participation in many Indian television programmes that deal with popular science, including ‘Turning Point’ and ‘Science is Everywhere’. He also helped establish the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune and the Centre for Educational Communication in Ahmedabad. Professor Trinh is a world-renowned astrophysicist who in 2004 discovered the youngest known galaxy in the universe. Bellachheb Chahbani of Tunisia was awarded the Great Man-Made River International Water Prize for Arid and Semi-Arid Zones. The Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environmental Preservation, was awarded to Spain’s Autonomous Authority for National Parks (known by its Spanish acronym as OAPN).