The Global Climate Research Prize (GCRP) was awarded for the first time on 10 June at the University of Cambridge’s historic Cambridge Union Debating Chamber. The inaugural prize was presented to Professor Xiaogang He from the National University of Singapore.
In his ground-breaking research, Professor He has advanced scientific understanding, prediction, and management of floods and droughts. To address hazards threatening global food security, he has developed frameworks that enhance drought resilience and groundwater sustainability, with implementation spanning from California to Southeast Asia.
The winning research is based on data from the Global Drought and Flood Catalogue. The prize of €200,000 will be allocated to the recipient’s university to support the continuation and development of the recognised research.
“In a world where speed, fake news, and polarisation are rewarded with visibility, science reminds us that true understanding is built on curiosity, humility, and long-term commitment,” says Juha-Matti Saksa, rector of LUT University, Finland.
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Finalists from world-leading universities tackle water shortage, infectious diseases, and greenhouse gas emissions
Founded by Clare Hall and LUT University, the Global Climate Research Prize (GCRP) is a biennial, philanthropic initiative designed to support international collaboration and highlight research addressing climate-induced effects. The winner was selected from four finalist teams tackling some of the most urgent climate challenges.
University of Toronto professor Debra Wunch took second place and was honoured with a medal for her achievement. She is involved in the Total Carbon Column Observing Network, which focuses on advancing greenhouse gas monitoring methods to support evidence-based climate policy and emissions reduction.
The University of California, Berkeley, professor and Nobel laureate Omar Yaghi conducts research that develops solar-powered water technologies enabling the harvesting of clean drinking water even in deserts.
Stanford University professor Erin Gilmour Mordecai studies how climate change is reshaping the spread of infectious diseases and provides insights for public health adaptation.
“Our ambition is to develop this prize into one of the world’s leading platforms for climate research and international collaboration,” says Alan Short, president of Clare Hall and award-winning professor in sustainable architecture.
Aiming to become one of the world’s leading platforms for climate research
The prize ceremony was held at the Cambridge Union Society and brought together representatives from leading universities, research organisations, and public institutions.
The ceremony also featured a distinguished lineup of keynote speakers, such as Finland’s Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala, Vice-Chancellor Deborah A. Prentice, and Professor and Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education Bhaskar Vira.
”Climate change is not only an environmental, technological, or political issue. It is a question of how we organise knowledge, trust, responsibility, and action,” says Hannele Seeck, LUT University professor and GCRP co-founder, who is also affiliated with Clare Hall.
Clare Hall was founded in 1966 on the initiative of Clare College, University of Cambridge. It was envisaged as a college with three main classes of members: university teaching officers whose principal focus was research; visiting academics who would stay in Cambridge for between six months and a year; and graduate students. Clare Hall is modelled on the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton but is shaped by its being part of the University of Cambridge. Its Fellowship consists of academics who are leaders in their fields. Many former Clare Hall Visiting Fellows have been awarded Nobel Prizes. https://www.clarehall.cam.ac.uk/
More information:
Francé Davies
Director of Development
Clare Hall, University of Cambridge
+44 1223767479
[email protected]
