The following awards will be presented:
- The Hans Christian Ørsted research award of DKK 50,000 as well as a work of art by the Danish artist Sabine Majus Hansen. The prize is awarded to Peter Christian Kjærgaard Vesborg, Associate Professor, the Department of Physics at the Technical University of Denmark, on the basis of his internationally renowned research into catalysis and artificial photosynthesis and his ability to communicate and put his research into a larger perspective.
- Two Hans Christian Ørsted junior researchers awards of DKK 10,000. The grants go to Alexandros Iosifidis, Aarhus University, and Yasser Nour, the Technical University of Denmark, to encourage them to continue their research within signal processing and power electronics, respectively.
- Four Ørsted study grants of DKK 50,000 each to students studying abroad. Two grants go to students in science and two grants go to students within the humanities. The science grants are awarded to Nicolai Ree, who is studying nanoscience at the University of Copenhagen, and Sidra Rafique, who is studying biomedical engineering at the Technical University of Denmark and the University of Copenhagen. They will use the scholarships to study abroad at the Centre of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of Lisbon and at the Boston University Centre for Integrated Life Sciences & Engineering. respectively. The humanities grants go to Esther Michelsen Kjeldahl who is studying philosophy at the University of Copenhagen, and Gabriella Laugesen who is studying Asian studies at Aarhus University. They will use their scholarships to go to the London School of Economics & Political Science and the East China Normal University in Shanghai, respectively.
Jacob Østergaard, Chairman of the Award Committee and Professor at the Technical University of Denmark, is delighted that the Hans Christian Ørsted award now reflect the work of Hans Christian Ørsted to a much greater extent, and that there are special awards for young, promising researchers have been introduced.
Jakob Bøss, Head of Strategy & Communication in Ørsted, emphasizes that the scholarships are part of the company's wish to pay tribute to Hans Christian Ørsted:
"Hans Christian Ørsted is not as well known in Denmark as Hans Christian Andersen, Niels Bohr and Tycho Brahe despite the fact that he’s had a major impact on how the world looks today. We want to extend people’s knowledge of Hans Christian Ørsted, while supporting young students who’re driven by curiosity, dedication and the desire to travel abroad to explore new areas of science and the humanities.”
Troels Krøyer, Chairman of H.C. Ørsted Selskabet, sees great potential in awarding scholarships supporting students to travel abroad and says:
"Including both the sciences and the humanities correlates perfectly with the spirit of Hans Christian Ørsted and is completely in line with our wish to break down barriers between the sciences and the humanities."
H.C. Ørsted Selskabet was founded in 2004 in Rudkøbing, Denmark, where Hans Christian Ørsted was born in the year 1777. Its purpose is to make children and young people interested in science. Hans Christian Ørsted's curiosity, dedication and interest in nature are the precise characteristics making it natural to link his name to new ways of researching.
Mayor Tonni Hansen is pleased that the award ceremony will take place in Rudkøbing and says:
"The award ceremony highlights a local genius who became world-famous."
The H.C. Ørsted Selskabet’s Award Committee has selected the winners. The scholarship winners are selected by the same Award Committee supplemented by Jakob Bøss, Head of Strategy & Communication in Ørsted, and Kasper Dam Schultz, the Technical University of Denmark and Erasmus liaison. It is not possible to apply for the research grants, however, the scholarships can be applied for once a year.
For more information:
- Troels Krøyer, Chairman of the H.C. Ørsted Selskabet, Tel. +45 51 23 20 52.
- Jacob Østergaard, Professor at the Technical University of Denmark and Chairman of the Award Committee, Tel. +45 25 13 05 01.
- Ulrik Frøhlke, Lead Media Advisor in Ørsted, Tel. +45 99 55 95 60.
