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Ratio et Spes Award for research into the effects of global warming
This year's winner of the international scientific award Ratio et Spes is Professor Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, a theoretical and atmospheric physicist who researches climate change and its consequences.
Ratio et Spes is an award granted jointly by Nicolaus Copernicus University and the Vatican Joseph Ratzinger-Benedetto XVI Foundation. Fourteen candidates were submitted for this year's second edition of the contest on the theme: Human development and the global environment.
The award was presented to Prof. Hans Schellnhuber for a series of interdisciplinary publications opening up or expanding new fields of research on the impact of global warming on many aspects relevant to the environment and human life, such as health, economics and social relations, as well as addressing humanity's understanding of the risks posed by the consequences of climate change.
The Scientific Council of the Award acknowledged not only the contribution of Prof. Hans Schellnhuber's research to the understanding of the mechanisms and regularities of climate change, but above all its exceptional significance for the overall understanding of the effects of contemporary climate change. These publications stimulate the development of a broad, interdisciplinary and holistic understanding of contemporary climate change and its various consequences. The award-winning series includes multi-authored articles; the Council also appreciated the Laureate's ability to form international, interdisciplinary research teams and to initiate and promote in-depth - including philosophical - reflection on the effects of global warming.
The award presentation accompanies the University Day, which falls on 19 February, and the Laureate honours the celebrations with his lecture. This year - due to the epidemic situation and the consequently limited nature of the ceremony - Professor Hans Schellnhuber's lecture has been prepared in an electronic form.
Prof. Hans Joachim Schellnhuber (born in 1950 r.) is a German theoretical physicist, atmospheric physicist and climatologist. His main research interests include condensed matter physics, dynamics of complex systems, climate change research, Earth system analysis, sustainability science. Prof. Schellnhuber has made important contributions to the development of theoretical physics, both to its foundations (condensed matter, complex dynamics) and applications (climate and environmental systems analysis). His research was groundbreaking for the international development of these areas. In 1992, he founded the famous Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and was its long-time director. Among others, he worked at the Universities of Potsdam and Oldenburg. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), the German Leopoldina Academy of Sciences, the German Advisory Council on Global Change and a full member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. More information
