(Madrid) Former Canadian politician and historian Michael Ignatieff has won the Spanish Princess of Asturias prize for social sciences for his “critical reflections on the major conflicts of our time”, the organizers of the prize announced on Wednesday.
With more than 20 books on human rights, foreign policy, economics and nationalism, among other subjects, the 77-year-old historian has become, in the words of the jury, “an essential reference for navigating our current war times”, political polarization and threats to freedom.
Among his best-known books are The Needs of Strangers (1984), Isaiah Berlin: A Life (1998) and Human Rights as Politics and Idolatry (2001). He has also published numerous articles and opinion columns.
Mr. Ignatieff has taught and researched at many of the world’s most prestigious universities, including Harvard, Cambridge and Oxford, and served as rector of the Central European University.
He has also been heavily involved in Canadian politics, rising to the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada in 2009 and leading the official opposition in Parliament. He resigned from his post in 2011, after a crushing defeat for his party in the federal election.
The Princess of Asturias Social Sciences Prize, worth 50,000 euros (nearly C$74,000), is one of eight awards given out each year by the foundation, covering areas such as arts, communication , science and sports.
French historian Hélène Carrère d’Encausse won the social sciences prize last year.
The awards ceremony, presided over by Spanish Princess Leonor, takes place every autumn in Oviedo, a city in northern Spain.