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Expo ’90 Foundation announces 2022 International Cosmos Prize laureate

The Expo ’90 Foundation (The Commemorative Foundation for the International Garden and Greenery Exposition, Osaka, Japan, 1990) has announced that Dr. Felicia Keesing has been selected as the winner of the 2022 International Cosmos Prize, the 29th edition of the Prize.

Dr. Felicia Keesing, Bard College’s David and Rosalie Rose Distinguished Professor of Science, Mathematics, and Computing, has been selected as the winner of the 2022 International Cosmos Prize by the Expo ’90 Foundation

Established to commemorate International Horticultural Expo 1990 in Osaka, the Expo ’90 Foundation is responsible for the management of commemorative funds and the promotion of activities that develop the theme of the Expo – "The Harmonious Coexistence of Nature and Mankind."

Every year, the International Cosmos Prize is awarded in recognition of a body of work that has significantly advanced our understanding of the relationships among living organisms and the interdependence of life and the global environment. 

The decision to award the prize to Dr. Keesing was reached after the committee evaluated 174 nominations from 28 countries.

The International Cosmos Prize Committee stated: “Dr. Felicia Keesing clarified the relationship between biodiversity and the risk of zoonotic pathogen transmission by conducting practical research and studies. She has demonstrated that while ecosystems with high biodiversity can be a breeding ground of various pathogens, the overall infection risk can be reduced in these ecosystems due to the presence of a dilution effect, thereby proving that biodiversity is of critical value to human society. These research achievements are instrumental in exploring the interrelationships among all life forms and provide sensible suggestions for seeking the ideal state of ‘Harmonious Coexistence between Nature and Humankind’ in the post-COVID-19 era.” 

Since 2008, the Expo '90 Foundation has collaborated with the BIE through a separate initiative, the BIE-Cosmos Prize. This prize is given out at each World and Specialised Expo, rewarding projects linked to the theme of the Expo and encouraging citizen participation. At World Expo 2020 Dubai, the BIE-Cosmos Prize was awarded to the N/a'an ku sê Foundation for its Conservation Research Project - Rapid Response Unit.

For more information regarding the 2022 edition of the International Cosmos Prize and the winner, please visit the Expo '90 Foundation website.