Press release The 2015 Hiroshima Prize awarded to Professor Anatoli Mikhailov

5 May 2015

Press release

The 2015 Hiroshima Prize awarded to Professor Anatoli Mikhailov

The Edita and Ira Morris Hiroshima Foundation for Peace and Culture has decided to award its prize for 2015 to Professor Anatoli Mikhailov, President and Founding Rector of the European Humanities University, Vilnius, Lithuania. A biography is appended to this release.

The award to Anatoli Mikhailov will be marked by several events in Stockholm on 25-26 May 2015. In particular he will be giving a lecture at the Stockholm Institute on Transitional Economics (SITE) of the Stockholm School of Economics

(Handelshögskolan) on 25 May.. The title of Professor Mikhailov’s lecture is

“Belarus on the eve of presidential elections: challenges and shortcomings of transformation”.

The Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, Mr Urban Ahlin, will host a lunch in honour of Professor Mikhailov, on 26 May.

In taking the decision to present Anatoli Mikhailov with the award the Board observed that, through his organisation of higher education and research in Belarus and Lithuania, he has made outstanding contributions to the promotion of democratic values, respect for human rights and the rule of law. Committed to studies in the liberal arts and enlightenment tradition, the European Humanities University has opened new perspectives to thousands of students helping them to grasp the meaning of European ideals and to unfold their professional potential. In so doing, this unique educational institution has planted seeds for a strong civil society in Belarus based on a vibrant culture and freedom of expression. Further information on the history and activities of the University can be found on its website (http://www.ehu.lt).

The Hiroshima Foundation was created in 1989 following a bequest by the Swedish author Edita Morris (1902-1988) who was married to the American author Ira Morris (1903-1972). It is named after Edita Morris’ most famous novel The Flowers of Hiroshima which describes the suffering caused by the atomic bomb. Edita and Ira Morris’ son Ivan Morris (1925-1976) was professor in Japanology and one of the first interpreters sent into Hiroshima after the explosion of the bomb.

The Foundation presents awards to women and men who contribute, in a cultural field, to fostering dialogue, understanding and peace in conflict areas. The award is now presented, in principle, every second year. The 2014 prizes were given to the Canadian General and Senator Roméo Dallaire and the dancer and choreographer Kettly Noël. No prize was given in 2012. The 2010 prize was awarded to the British documentary filmmaker Kim Longinotto. In 2008 the award was presented to the principals of two schools in Sri Lanka in recognition of their efforts to foster mutual understanding for Tamil and Sinhalese culture. The 2006 prize was given to Elena Nemirovskaya, Director and founder of the Moscow School of Political Studies. In 2004 the prize was awarded to Borka Pavićević, founder of the Centre for Cultural Decontamination in Belgrade, with additional prizes to Biljana Srbljanović and Jasmina Tesanović, Serbian authors and peace activists. Further information on the Foundation, including a biography of Edita Morris and a full list of recipients of previous awards, can be found on the Foundation's website

http://www.hiroshimafoundation.net .

The Board of the Foundation is composed of Professor Daniel Tarschys, chairman, Suzanne Osten, Thomas Ouchterlony, Chandras Rajakaruna, Sara Gidlund, Elisabeth Toll and Hans Christopher Toll.

Prof. Dr. Anatoli Mikhailov

Date of birth: 27 May 1939

Academic degrees: PhD in philosophy, professor, Member of the Belarusian National Academy of Sciences

Primary workplace and position: European Humanities University, Vilnius, President

Academic interests: theory and practice of education, methodology of humanities, Western intellectual tradition and philosophy.

Lectures and conference papers presented at various Russian, American and German public institutions, universities and research centers.

Languages: Belarusian, Russian, English German. Limited knowledge of French and Polish.

Graduated in 1961 in Philosophy and History, Belarusian State University, Minsk.

PhD in Philosophy, University of Jena (Germany) in 1966. Habilitation in Philosophy in Minsk, 1984.

Other professional activities and recognitions:

Member of the Belarusian National Academy of Sciences (1991) Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (Salzburg, Austria), 1993

Member of Belarusian National Academy of Education (1995) Member of Russian Academy for Humanities Research (1996) Member of International Academy of Philosophy (2003)

Scholarships: University of Bochum and University of Bonn (Germany);

Universities of Suffolk and Harvard, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (USA)

Involvement in international projects:

2004-2005 member of UNDP expert group

2007-2010 member of the International Council of the Center for Democratic Transition (Hungary)

Participation in capacities of an Editorial Board Member:

“Mesothes” (Vienna)

“Schopenhauer- Studies” (Hamburg)

“Topos” (Vilnius)

“Crossroads” (Vilnius)

“Problemos” (Vilnius)

Awards and distinctions:

French Academic Palms (2003) Goethe’s Medal, Germany, (2004)

Ion Ratiu Democracy Award, Washington, (2007)

Commander’s Cross for Special Merit to the Republic of Lithuania (2008)

Took part at the establishment of European Humanities University in

Minsk, Belarus, in 1992. Was actively involved in reestablishment of

EHU in Lithuania. After the closure of this university in 2004 by the

regime of Lukashenko lives in Vilnius in exile since 2005.