The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, founded by renowned scientists including Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer, has been selected as the recipient of the second Miwon Peace Prize.
Kyung Hee University held a ceremony on June 29 at its Peace Hall to announce the award and the reasons for the selection. The Miwon Peace Prize was established in 2024 to honor individuals or organizations dedicated to the future of global society, carrying on the peace ideals of the late Dr. Cho Yong-sik, the founder of Kyung Hee University, who lived from 1921 to 2012.
The Miwon Peace Prize is awarded every two years to individuals or organizations committed to improving human existence and the future of civilization and peace. The award includes a grant of $200,000 for global peace initiatives.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is an independent nonprofit organization founded by scientists involved in the Manhattan Project, who recognized the ethical responsibility of nuclear technology's destructive potential. It has a governing board, a science and security board, and an honorary scientist advisory group, which was established by Einstein in 1948, with Oppenheimer as its first chair. The advisory group includes over 40 Nobel laureates, ensuring the organization's scientific authority.
Since its inception in 1947, the Bulletin has published the Doomsday Clock, symbolizing the time remaining until humanity's potential catastrophe. It has warned the world about global threats to human survival posed by nuclear weapons, climate change, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology.
Irina Bokova, chair of the Miwon Peace Prize selection committee and former UNESCO Director-General, praised the Bulletin, stating, "For over 80 years, the Bulletin has visualized how close humanity is to existential catastrophe through rigorous scientific analysis. It is the most outstanding candidate for advocating peace through science, contributing to the pursuit of science-based human security for policymakers and the public."
Cho In-won, chairman of Kyung Hee University, highlighted the significance of the award during the ceremony. He stated, "The message from the Bulletin over the past 80 years is clear. The issues posed by nuclear weapons, the climate crisis, and artificial intelligence are not isolated crises but interconnected complex crises. Today's challenge is not merely technological advancement but how we choose to use that technology with values and direction. What we need is the wisdom to understand and act upon our interconnected reality."
He added, "If the Bulletin has delivered warnings of the times through scientific insight, Kyung Hee has aimed to awaken human consciousness and action through scholarship and education. Our common goal is to protect humanity's future and establish peace as the foundation of a new civilization. This selection will not only honor the achievements of one organization but also serve as a moment of reflection on the need for nations and civil societies to unite and share wisdom in the face of complex crises."
The second Miwon Peace Prize ceremony will be held on September 21 during the 45th International Peace Day Conference, commemorating the United Nations' World Peace Day. The selection date of June 29 was chosen to honor Dr. Cho Yong-sik's proposal to the UN 45 years ago for the establishment of a "World Peace Day and Year" amid the threats of war.
Kyung Hee University held a ceremony on June 29 at its Peace Hall to announce the award and the reasons for the selection. The Miwon Peace Prize was established in 2024 to honor individuals or organizations dedicated to the future of global society, carrying on the peace ideals of the late Dr. Cho Yong-sik, the founder of Kyung Hee University, who lived from 1921 to 2012.
The Miwon Peace Prize is awarded every two years to individuals or organizations committed to improving human existence and the future of civilization and peace. The award includes a grant of $200,000 for global peace initiatives.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is an independent nonprofit organization founded by scientists involved in the Manhattan Project, who recognized the ethical responsibility of nuclear technology's destructive potential. It has a governing board, a science and security board, and an honorary scientist advisory group, which was established by Einstein in 1948, with Oppenheimer as its first chair. The advisory group includes over 40 Nobel laureates, ensuring the organization's scientific authority.
Since its inception in 1947, the Bulletin has published the Doomsday Clock, symbolizing the time remaining until humanity's potential catastrophe. It has warned the world about global threats to human survival posed by nuclear weapons, climate change, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology.
Irina Bokova, chair of the Miwon Peace Prize selection committee and former UNESCO Director-General, praised the Bulletin, stating, "For over 80 years, the Bulletin has visualized how close humanity is to existential catastrophe through rigorous scientific analysis. It is the most outstanding candidate for advocating peace through science, contributing to the pursuit of science-based human security for policymakers and the public."
Cho In-won, chairman of Kyung Hee University, highlighted the significance of the award during the ceremony. He stated, "The message from the Bulletin over the past 80 years is clear. The issues posed by nuclear weapons, the climate crisis, and artificial intelligence are not isolated crises but interconnected complex crises. Today's challenge is not merely technological advancement but how we choose to use that technology with values and direction. What we need is the wisdom to understand and act upon our interconnected reality."
He added, "If the Bulletin has delivered warnings of the times through scientific insight, Kyung Hee has aimed to awaken human consciousness and action through scholarship and education. Our common goal is to protect humanity's future and establish peace as the foundation of a new civilization. This selection will not only honor the achievements of one organization but also serve as a moment of reflection on the need for nations and civil societies to unite and share wisdom in the face of complex crises."
The second Miwon Peace Prize ceremony will be held on September 21 during the 45th International Peace Day Conference, commemorating the United Nations' World Peace Day. The selection date of June 29 was chosen to honor Dr. Cho Yong-sik's proposal to the UN 45 years ago for the establishment of a "World Peace Day and Year" amid the threats of war.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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