Merit reward: science, education, and the arts

It’s something that, in our society, we don’t often do as we should: recognize the best, reward them, and set an example for our own personal improvement. I know very well that the brightest scientists and academics do not reach the hundredth of the most famous athletes or stars of film, television and social networks. However, they deserve to stand out. And there are more stages where this happens, as well as the more mediated Nobel Prizes, announced this month. One of the most famous are the World Prizes for Science (Albert Einstein), Education (José Vasconcelos) and Arts (Leonardo da Vinci), awarded by the World Cultural Council.

If I tell you about it, it’s because this year’s edition is special: for the first time, a Portuguese institution – the University of Coimbra – is hosting the Awards Ceremony, on November 29-30. But also because I believe the winners – in an unprecedented way, women only – are three examples of the excellence of great scientific discoveries, inclusive education, and architecture that promotes sustainability and social justice that deserve (re)definition.