Dr Bill Sutherland Wins International Cosmos Prize

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On July 17, 2024, The Commemorative Foundation for the International Garden and Greenery Exposition, Osaka, Japan, 1990 (Expo ’90 Foundation) (Chairperson: Mr. MITARAI Fujio) selected Dr. William James Sutherland (68), Director of Research, Department of Zoology, The University of Cambridge, as the winner of the 2024 (31st) International Cosmos Prize.

The decision to award the prize to Dr. William James Sutherland was reached after considering the recommendations submitted by the International Cosmos Prize Committee (Chairperson: Dr. YAMAGIWA Juichi) and the Screening Committee of Experts (Chairperson: Dr. IKEYA Kazunobu).

Dr. Sutherland, a pioneer in the field of “conservation science”, has dedicated himself to a wide array of research and activities ranging from fundamental ecological studies to recommendations on environmental policy, and has championed the concept of “evidence-based conservation”, which has revolutionized the field of ecology. Dr. Sutherland has also been instrumental in the development of the open access website, Conservation Evidence, which carefully assesses and collects information from a vast number of research papers worldwide and is available for everyone to use as evidence. A “horizon scanning” initiative spearheaded by Dr. Sutherland identifies early indicators of significant threats to humanity and is used in policy development and biodiversity conservation strategies. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place later this year on Tuesday, November 12 in Osaka, Japan.