# World Cultural Council

The World Cultural Council is an international organization whose goals are to promote cultural values, goodwill and philanthropy among individuals. The organization founded in 1982 and based in Mexico, has held a yearly award ceremony since 1984 by granting the Albert Einstein World Award of Science, the José Vasconcelos World Award of Education, and the Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts to outstanding scientists, educators, and artists, who have contributed positively to the cultural enrichment of mankind. The members of the Council include several Nobel laureates.

## Founding members

The founding members of the World Cultural Council are 124 distinguished personalities in such fields as the arts, biology, chemistry, physics, medicine, psychology, neuroscience, astronomy, oceanography, astrophysics, anthropology, and zoology. Some of these members are recipients of awards because of their outstanding achievements including the Nobel Prize, the National Medal of Science, the Copley Medal, the Royal Medal, the Albert Einstein Medal, the Albert Lasker Award and the Enrico Fermi Award. Some of the founders are also Foreign Members or Fellows of the Royal Society, Fellows of the American Physical Society, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
The 124 founding members of the World Cultural Council are:
Werner Arber James Baddiley M. Balasegaram Frank Barnaby Christiaan Barnard Colin Blakemore Aage N. Bohr Norman Borlaug Harold G. Callan André Frédéric Cournand William J. Darby Eduardo de Robertis Cornelis de Jager Guy Blaudin de Thé Jean-François Denisse Venancio Deulofeu Frank J. Dixon Richard S. Doll Audouin Dollfus Jacques-Émile Dubois Gerald Durrell Francisco J. Dy John C. Eccles Paul Ehrlich Manfred Eigen Mohammed El Fasi Ernest L. Eliel Kenneth O. Emergy José Rafael Estrada Hans J. Eysenck Don W. Fawcett David J. Finney Val L. Fitch Carl G. Gahmberg Alfred D. Hershey Gerhard Herzberg David H. Hubel Osmo H. Järvi Reginald V. Jones Adrian Kantrowitz Nathan O. Kaplan Leo A. Kaprio Vassos Karageorghis Peter E. Kent Donald W. Kerst Seymour S. Kety Prem N. Kirpal Georges B. Koelle Walther Manshard Georges Mathé William D. McElroy Henry McIlwain John McMichael Jerrold Meinwald Harry Melville Desmond J. Morris Giuseppe Moruzzi Nevill Mott Vernon B. Mountcastle Robert S. Mulliken Walter H. Munk Ilie G. Murgulescu Jayant V. Narlikar Louis E. F. Néel Yuval Ne'eman Bernhard H. Neumann William A. Nierenberg Marshall W. Nirenberg George E. Palade Arthur B. Pardee David Phillips Jacques Piccard Jens J. Pindborg Comlan A. A. Quenum Hermann Rahn G. N. Ramachandran Gunnar Randers Chintamani N. R. Rao Rex Richards Jean Rösch Abraham J. A. Roux Stanley K. Runcorn Donald H. Sadler Hakim Muhammad Saeed Nobufusa Saito Abdus Salam Stuart J. Saunders Menahem Max Schiffer William G. Schneider Glenn T. Seaborg Ernest R. Sears Frederick Seitz Leonard T. Skeggs Stefan Ślopek George J. Smets George D. Snell Leonard Sosnowky Roger W. Sperry Lyman Spitzer Frederick Stewart Heikki Suomalainen Pol Swings Charles Tanford Henry Taube John M. Tedder Edward Teller Howard Temin Harold Thompson Peter C. Thonemann Phillip V. Tobias Alexander R. Todd Jan Peter Toennies Andrzej Trautman Jean L. F. Tricart Ioan Ursu Constantin Vago Eugene van Tamelen Ulf S. von Euler Alan Walsh William J. Whelan Karel F. Wiesner Rosalyn S. Yalow

## Award ceremonies

| Year | Award Recipients | Ceremony Host | Ceremony Site | Ceremony Host Country | Ceremony Date |
| 2022 | J. Meejin Yoon, Claudia Mitchell, Victoria M. Kaspi | University of Coimbra | University of Coimbra, Coimbra | Portugal | November 29-30, 2022 |
| 2019 | Zhong Lin Wang, Paulo Branco | University of Tsukuba | University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba | Japan | October 4, 2019 |
| 2018 | Jean-Pierre Changeux, Malik Mâaza | City University of Hong Kong | City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong | Hong Kong | November 8, 2018 |
| 2017 | Omar M. Yaghi, Russell Hartenberger | Leiden University | Pieterskerk, Leiden | Netherlands | November 8, 2017 |
| 2016 | Edward Witten, Kalevi Ekman | Riga Technical University | National Library of Latvia, Riga | Latvia | October 14, 2016 |
| 2015 | Ewine van Dishoeck, Milton Masciadri | University of Dundee | Caird Hall, Dundee, Scotland | United Kingdom | November 19, 2015 |
| 2014 | Philip Cohen, Federico Rosei | Aalto University | Otakaari 1 Building, Aalto University, Espoo | Finland | November 17, 2014 |
| 2013 | Paul Nurse, Petteri Nisunen, Tommi Grönlund | Nanyang Technological University | Nanyang Auditorium, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore | Singapore | October 2, 2013 |
| 2012 | Michael Grätzel, Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht | Aarhus University | The Main Hall, Aarhus University, Aarhus | Denmark | April 18, 2012 |
| 2011 | Geoffrey Ozin, Todd Siler | University of Tartu | Assembly Hall, University of Tartu, Tartu | Estonia | November 10, 2011 |
| 2010 | Julio Montaner, Christian Azar | Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México | Aula Magna Adolfo López Mateos, UAEM, Toluca | Mexico | December 8, 2010 |
| 2009 | John T. Houghton, Marcell Jankovics | University of Liège | Salle Académique, University of Liège, Liège | Belgium | November 25, 2009 |
| 2008 | Ada Yonath, William G. Bowen | Princeton University | Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey | United States | November 11, 2008 |
| 2007 | Fraser Stoddart, Anne Moeglin-Delcroix | Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León | Teatro Universitario, Campus Mederos, Monterrey | Mexico | November 24, 2007 |
| 2006 | Ahmed Zewail, Marlene Scardamalia | Instituto Politécnico Nacional | Sala Manuel M. Ponce, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City | Mexico | October 28, 2006 |
| 2005 | John Hopfield, Enrique Norten | Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro | Teatro de la Ciudad Fernando Soler, Saltillo | Mexico | November 12, 2005 |
| 2004 | Ralph J. Cicerone, David Attenborough | University of Liège | Amphithéâtres de l’Europe, University of Liège, Liège | Belgium | November 8, 2004 |
| 2003 | Martin Rees, Otto Piene | University of Helsinki, Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters | National Library of Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki | Finland | November 17, 2003 |
| 2002 | Daniel H. Janzen, Jeannie Oakes | Trinity College, Dublin | Examination Hall, Trinity College, Dublin, Dublin | Ireland | November 14, 2002 |
| 2001 | Niels Birbaumer, Edna Hibel | Utrecht University | Academiegebouw [nl], Utrecht | Nederlands | November 21, 2001 |
| 2000 | Frank Fenner, Zafra M. Lerman | University of the Witwatersrand | Great Hall, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg | South Africa | November 1, 2000 |
| 1999 | Robert Weinberg, Magdalena Abakanowicz | Norwegian University of Science and Technology | Main Building, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim | Norway | November 11, 1999 |
| 1998 | Charles R. Goldman, Robert Yager | Victoria University of Wellington | Hunter Building, Wellington | New Zealand | November 19, 1998 |
| 1997 | Jean-Marie Ghuysen | Chulalongkorn University | Main Auditorium, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok | Thailand | November 12, 1997 |
| 1996 | Alec Jeffreys, Roger Gaudry | University of Oxford | Voltaire Room, Taylor Institution, Oxford | United Kingdom | November 23, 1996 |
| 1995 | Herbert H. Jasper, Robert Rauschenberg | INBA, CONACULTA | Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City | Mexico | December 16, 1995 |
| 1994 | Sherwood Rowland, Joseph O´Halloran | CODATA, ICSU, UNESCO | Le Manège Convention Center, Chambéry | France | September 19, 1994 |
| 1993 | Ali Javan | Presidencia de la República | Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City | Mexico | December 19, 1993 |
| 1992 | Raymond U . Lemieux, Elliot Eisner | National Research Council (Canada) | Lester B. Pearson Building, Ottawa | Canada | November 27, 1992 |
| 1991 | Albrecht Fleckenstein | Australian National University | Chancellor's Building, ANU, Canberra | Australia | November 14, 1991 |
| 1990 | Gustav Nossal, Lev Shevrin | Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich | Cupola Room, ETH Zürich, Zürich | Switzerland | November 22, 1990 |
| 1989 | Martin Kamen, Athens Acropolis Preservation Group of Greece | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Edgerton Hall, MIT, Cambridge | United States | November 8, 1989 |
| 1988 | Margaret Burbidge, Gilbert De Landsheere | Instituto Politécnico Nacional | Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City | Mexico | November 19, 1988 |
| 1987 | Hugh Huxley | University of Heidelberg | Alte Aula, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg | (Germany) | November 26, 1987 |
| 1986 | Monkombu Sambasivan Swaminathan | University of Guadalajara | Teatro Degollado, Guadalajara | Mexico | November 6, 1986 |
| 1985 | Werner Stumm, Dolores Hernández | Royal Institute of Technology | Kollegiesalen, Stockholm | Sweden | November 21, 1985 |
| 1984 | Ricardo Bressani | World Cultural Council | Auditorio San Pedro, San Pedro Garza García | Mexico | November 29, 1984 |

### Special recognitions

Starting in 2003, the World Cultural Council issues Special Recognitions to expert researchers connected to the host of the award ceremony, and which findings have been made available to the public.
| Year | Recognitions |
| 2017 | Nadine Akkerman, Ann Brysbaert, Marike Knoef, Marianne Maeckelbergh, Victoria Nyst, Sarah De Rijcke, Alicia Schrikker, Martina Vijver, Inge van der Weijden |
| 2016 | Elīna Gaile-Sarkane, Jānis Grundspeņķis [lv], Tālis Juhna, Kaspars Kalniņš, Jānis Krastiņš, Oskars Krievs, Guntis Kuļikovskis, Igors Tipāns [lv], Māris Turks |
| 2015 | Catherine Heymans, Sara Brown, Sara Robertson, Sarah Coulthurst, Lisa DeBruine, Sinéad Rhodes |
| 2014 | Camilla Hollanti, Katri Kauppi, Mauri Kostiainen, Matti Kuttinen, Jani Romanoff, Hele Savin |
| 2013 | Educational Merit Medal:Bertil Andersson. Science: Juliana Chan, David Lou Xiong Wen, Wang Qijie, Zhang Hua. Education: Jasmine Sim Boon Yee |
| 2012 | Educational Merit Medal: Lauritz Holm-Nielsen. Science: Anders Baun, Trine Bilde, Peter Brodersen, Johan P. U. Fynbo, Anja Groth, Jakob Søndergaard Jensen, Lars Bojer Madsen, Jesper Buus Nielsen |
| 2011 | Educational Merit Medal: Alar Karis. Recognitions: Toomas Asser, Jaan Einasto, Kalle Kasemaa, Peeter Saari, Rein Taagepera, Jüri Talvet, Vaike Uibopuu, Urmas Varblane, Richard Villems |
| 2010 | |
| 2009 | Educational Merit Medal: Bernard Rentier. Science: Jean-Marie Baland, Christophe Caucheteur, Jérôme Cornil, Vinciane Despret, Luc Henrard, Steven Laureys. Arts: Mady Andrien, Patrick Davin, Jacques Delcuvellerie, Karel Logist, Jean-Philippe Toussaint |
| 2008 | Science: Ignacio Rodriguez-Iturbe, Bonnie Bassler. Education: Douglas Massey, Cornel West. |
| 2007 | Science: Germán Cisneros, María del Socorro Flores, Carlos Guerrero, Mario César Salinas, Óscar Torres. Arts: Alejandro Gómez, Adolfo Narváez, Alfonso Rangel, Ana Silvia Rodríguez, José Javier Villarreal |
| 2006 | Science: René Drucker Colin, Octavio Paredes López, Gerardo Silverio Contreras |
| 2005 | Science: Atocha Aliseda Llera (UNAM), Pavel Castro Villarreal (UNAM), Miguel Mellado Bosque (UAAAN). Arts: Elsa Cross, Felipe Garrido, Pilar Rioja. |
| 2004 | Science: André Berger, Guy Brasseur, Arsène Burny, Jacques Pasteels, Marc Van Montagu. Education: Jean-Marie De Ketele, Hadelin Hainaut, Dieudonné Leclercq, Lieven Verschaeffel |
| 2003 | Science: Sören Illiman, Markku Kulmala, Antti Vaheri. Arts: Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Hannu Kähönen, Yrjö Kukkapuro, Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmesniemi, Nina Roos, Henry Wuorila-Stenberg |