The International Cosmos Prize was established in 1993, commemorating Expo 90 in Osaka

Osaka

is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

, Japan.The objective of the prize is to develop the basic concept of Expo 90, "The Harmonious Coexistence between Nature and Mankind."

The prize, which may be awarded to an individual or team, consists of a commendation, a medallion and a monetary reward, currently 40 million yen

Japanese yen

The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...

. It is awarded during a ceremony held in each autumn, at which the individual or team delivers a commemorative lecture and takes part in a symposium

Symposium

In ancient Greece, the symposium was a drinking party. Literary works that describe or take place at a symposium include two Socratic dialogues, Plato's Symposium and Xenophon's Symposium, as well as a number of Greek poems such as the elegies of Theognis of Megara...

 held in their honor.

The name of the prize, "Cosmos," refers to the Cosmos flower that bloomed during the Expo and the ancient Greek

Greek language

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

 word kosmos meaning "universe in harmony." The prize was first awarded in 1993, to the then Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...

, Sir Ghillean Prance

Ghillean Prance

Sir Ghillean Tolmie Prance FRS VMH is a prominent British botanist and ecologist.He has published extensively on the taxonomy of families such as Chrysobalanaceae and Lecythidaceae, but he perhaps drew more attention in documenting the pollination ecology of Victoria amazonica...

.

Subject Matter of the Prize

The prize shall be awarded for outstanding research work and/or achievement which promote the philosophy, “The Harmonious Coexistence between Nature and Mankind.” The Prize shall also illuminate research and/or achievements that use not only analytical and reductive methods, but also advocate a global outlook and show integrated, long-term vision. The prize recognizes achievements in the natural and social sciences, humanities and the arts.

Selection Procedure

The Cosmos Prize Committee http://www.expo-cosmos.or.jp/iinkai_e.html will form the Screening Committee of Experts which will screen
candidates recommended by the designated recommenders. Based on the results of the screening, the Cosmos Prize Committee will decide the Prizewinner.

Prizewinners

1993 – Ghillean Prance Ghillean Prance Sir Ghillean Tolmie Prance FRS VMH is a prominent British botanist and ecologist.He has published extensively on the taxonomy of families such as Chrysobalanaceae and Lecythidaceae, but he perhaps drew more attention in documenting the pollination ecology of Victoria amazonica... 1994 – Jacques F. Barrau 1995 – Tatsuo Kira 1996 – George B. Schaller George Schaller George Beals Schaller is an American mammalogist, naturalist, conservationist and author. Schaller is recognized by many as the world's preeminent field biologist, studying wildlife throughout Africa, Asia and South America. Born in Berlin, Schaller grew up in Germany, but moved to Missouri as a... 1997 – Richard Dawkins Richard Dawkins Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author... 1998 – Jared M. Diamond Jared Diamond Jared Mason Diamond is an American scientist and author whose work draws from a variety of fields. He is currently Professor of Geography and Physiology at UCLA... 1999 – Wu Zheng-Yi

2000 – David Attenborough David Attenborough Sir David Frederick Attenborough OM, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS, FZS, FSA is a British broadcaster and naturalist. His career as the face and voice of natural history programmes has endured for more than 50 years... 2001 – Anne W. Spirn 2002 – Charles Darwin Research Station Charles Darwin Research Station The Charles Darwin Research Station is a biological research station operated by the Charles Darwin Foundation. It is located in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos Islands, with satellite offices on Isabela and San Cristóbal islands.- Background :In Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island,... 2003 – Peter H. Raven Peter H. Raven Peter Hamilton Raven is a botanist and environmentalist, notable as the longtime director, now President Emeritus, of the Missouri Botanical Garden.-Early life:... 2004 – Julia Carabias Lillo 2005 – Daniel Pauly Daniel Pauly Daniel Pauly is a French-born marine biologist, well-known for his work in studying human impacts on global fisheries. He is a professor and the project leader of the Sea Around Us Project at the Fisheries Centre at the University of British Columbia. He also served as Director of the Fisheries... 2006 – Raman Sukumar Raman Sukumar Raman Sukumar is an Indian ecologist known for his work on the ecology of the Asian Elephant and human wildlife conflict. He also works on climate change. He was born in India in 1955. In 2006, he was awarded the International Cosmos Prize, the first Indian to get this award.He got his BS from the... 2007 – Georgina Mace Georgina Mace Professor Georgina Mace, CBE, FRS is Professor of Conservation Science and Director of the Natural Environment Research Council Centre for Population Biology, Imperial College London.She was the winner of the 2007 International Cosmos Prize... 2008 – Phan Nguyên Hồng Phan Nguyên Hồng Phan Nguyen Hong is a leading authority on the mangrove ecosystem in Asia. He has been involved in comprehensive scientific research in Vietnam, where war and overdevelopment have had a devastating impact on its mangrove ecosystem. He has made a major contribution to the restoration of the... 2009 – Dr.Gretchen Cara Daily 2010 – Dr. Estella Bergere Leopold

External links

• Expo 90 website (English version)
• Prizewinners