The Belgian Erik Jacquemyn has been awarded the UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of science. The award ceremony was held yesterday during the World Science Forum which takes place in Jordan at the King Hussein Bin Talal Conference Centre from 7 to 11 November.

As an expert in scientific communication and science centres and museums, Erik Jacquemyn has been selected in recognition of his commitment to disseminate knowledge about the sciences among the general public.

An engineer by training, Mr Jacquemyn became a science and technology advisor to the Minister-President of the Flemish Government and since the early 1990s, he has launched numerous science communication initiatives, notably the Flemish Science Week, the Science Festival and a number of science contests. He also initiated Technopolis, the Flemish Science Centre he directed until 2016. Mr Jacquemyn has taken part in several international cooperation projects and notably chaired the International Programme Committee of the 1st Science Centre World Summit, held in Mechelen, Belgium, in 2014.