Prof. Brebbia & Prof. Voeikov
The Prigogine Medal was instituted by the University of Siena in Italy and the Wessex Institute of Technology in the UK in 2004 to honour the memory of Professor Ilya Prigogine, Nobel Prize Winner for Chemistry and Honorary Chair of ECOSUD until his death in 2003.
Ilya Prigogine was born in Moscow in 1917 and obtained his undergraduate and graduate education in Chemistry at the Free University of Brussels. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his contribution to non-equilibrium thermodynamics, particularly the theory of dissipative structures. The main theme of his scientific work was the role of time in the physical sciences and biology. He contributed significantly to the understanding of irreversible processes, particularly in systems far from equilibrium. The results of his work have had profound consequences for understanding biological and ecological systems.
Prigogine’s ideas established the basis for ecological systems research. The Prigogine Medal to honour his memory is awarded annually to a leading scientist in the field of ecological systems. All recipients have been deeply influenced by the work of Prigogine.
Previous Prigogine Gold Medal winners were:
- 2004 Sven Jorgensen, Denmark
- 2005 Enzo Tiezzi, Italy
- 2006 Bernard Patten, USA
- 2007 Robert Ulanowicz, USA
- 2008 Ioannis Antoniou, Greece
- 2009 Emilio del Giudice, Italy
- 2010 Felix Müller, Germany
- 2011 Larissa Brizhik, Ukraine
- 2012 Gerald Pollack, USA
Prof. Voeikov receiving the medal
The recipient of the 2013 Award was Prof Vladimir Voeikov, Professor of Bio-organic Chemistry at Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia.
Vladimir received his degree at Moscow State University and a PhD in Biophysics at the same institution, completing after that a further doctorate on Biological Sciences.
Since then he has been carrying out outstanding research at the Moscow Academy of Science, Duke University and Moscow State University. He is renowned in the field of physical and chemical properties of water and aqueous systems providing for the biological role of water in bioenergetics, in particular, in aerobic respiration, functions of reactive oxygen species in regulation of biological functions and in bioenergetics.
Vladimir is the author or co-author of more than 250 publications including 100 papers in scientific journals, as well as five books and monographs.
He is a member of the renowned Institute of Biophysics in Neuss, Germany and of the all-Russian Biochemical Society as well as an Editor of the Journal on Water, a multi-disciplinary research journal.
Vladimir was awarded the medal by the Rector of the Politehnica of Bucharest and after this he proceeded to deliver his special Prigogine Lecture entitled ‘The Key Role of Stable Nonequilibrium State of Aqueous Systems in Bioenergetics’, the abstract of which is as follows:
Nearly 80 years ago the founder of Theoretical biology Ervin Bauer formulated Fundamental Principles to differentiate between animate and inanimate systems. The major Principle defining the living state of matter is the Principle of Stable Non-equilibrium, ‘No living system is ever at equilibrium. It ceaselessly performs work against equilibrium, demanded by the physical and chemical laws appropriate to the actual external conditions’. From this and a few other fundamental principles all the life manifestations automatically follow. Essentially a living thing is envisaged as an active and coherent free energy rich unit that uses all its energy for the preservation of its non-equilibrium state. Sustainability of the living state in time and space is provided by its intrinsic ability for the continuous buildup of free energy stock it possesses expressed in terms of evolution.
Buffet lunch after the medal cermony
However, the origins of the initial conditions that allow for the process of a living system to emerge and for the global life to develop incessantly are omitted from Bauer’s theory. Furthermore, the matter that resides in a stable non-equilibrium state (“living matter”), possessing structural energy and performing useful work, has only very loosely been defined. In this assay we’ll show that recently discovered unique properties of water allow considering Real Aqueous Systems as living systems because they fully meet all the requirements of Erwin Bauer’s principles. Hence life in all its forms is the necessary consequence of the unique properties of this widespread substance – Water.
The full text of his lecture has been published in the International Journal of Design and Nature with Ecodynamics, Vol 8, Issue #2 2013.
The lecture was followed by Prof Brebbia’s remarks congratulating Vladimir for his excellent presentation which clearly explained the new direction of water research, following the work of previous Prigogine medallists such as Profs del Giudice, Brizhik and Pollack.
After the event, the participants were invited to a buffet lunch at the Politehnica before returning to the Intercontinental Hotel where the other sessions were held. This hotel is one of the iconic buildings in Bucharest, very well located in the centre of the city and next to its old quarter, a place full of good restaurants, bars and cultural sites.
