They are:
Sergei Bereznuk (Russia), using technology and local community education to protect a highly vulnerable population of Amur tigers in the Russian Far East, currently threatened by poaching and damage to their ecosystem.
Barbara Block (United States), developing wired ocean hotspots along the West Coast of America to monitor the presence of marine predators, and ultimately to use innovative science to campaign for a large-scale marine protected area.
Erika Cuéllar (Bolivia), working in the Gran Chaco, the second-largest forest in South America after the Amazon, which crosses the borders of Bolivia, Argentina and Paraguay, to train parabiologists amongst the local community to protect and conserve threatened wildlife.
Mark Kendall (Australia), working on the development of the needle-free ‘nanopatch’, to revolutionize delivery of vaccines in the developing world, making them cheaper and potentially saving the lives of millions of people who die from infectious diseases.
Aggrey Otieno (Kenya), building a telemedicine centre in Korogocho, a vast slum in Nairobi, to provide support and advice to birth attendants, using mobile telephones, to save the lives of mothers and newborn babies.
Each Laureate will receive 100,000 Swiss francs for his or her project.
The Rolex Awards for Enterprise were founded in 1976 to recognize and support exceptional individuals with new ideas in the fields of science and health, applied technology, exploration and discovery, the environment, and preservation of cultural heritage. Since then, the programme has been acclaimed internationally for its pioneering work, and has supported 115 individuals from 42 different countries.
Rebecca Irvin, Head of Philanthropy, Rolex, said today: “We are honoured to be able to support the work of these extraordinary individuals, who have the imagination and dedication to make good things happen for the benefit of others. We are fortunate to have the generous guidance and experience of experts in every field to work with us to choose from amongst
the many outstanding proposals we receive – this year, 3,500 from 154 countries in all, the
largest number we have ever received.”
The 2012 Laureates will be honoured at a celebration in Delhi on 27 November 2012
attended by distinguished figures from the fields of science, technology and the environment.
The 2012 Jury:
Habiba Bouhamed Chaabouni (Tunisia), a pioneer in research on genetic disorders.
Gururaj Deshpande (India), founder of several innovative technology companies, global
philanthropist.
Sylvia Earle (USA), oceanographer and record-breaking, deep-ocean explorer.
Steve Jones (UK), biologist and author renowned for his research on genetics and evolution.
Calestous Juma (Kenya), world authority on sustainable development, Harvard professor of
international development.
Tayeb A. Kamali (UAE), educationalist, vice chancellor of the UAE’s Higher Colleges of
Technology.
Amyr Klink (Brazil), explorer and author.
Antonio Machado-Allison (Venezuela), zoologist, an authority on the piranha.
Keiko Nakamura (Japan), life scientist acknowledged for her role in establishing the field of
biohistory.
Subramaniam Ramadorai (India), IT specialist who founded and is now vice chairman of
Tata Consultancy Services.
Gerhard Schmitt (Switzerland), professor and expert on artificial intelligence and computer-
aided architectural design.
Mahrukh Tarapor (India), museum advisor with expertise in Islamic and Indian arts.
Rolex philanthropy
The Awards for Enterprise and the Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative are Rolex’s two flagship philanthropic programmes. Initiated in 1976 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Rolex Oyster, the Rolex Awards fund new and ongoing projects that address pressing needs around the world and advance human knowledge and well-being. The Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative has, since 2002, paired master artists with emerging talents in six disciplines for a year of one-to-one collaboration.
For downloadable media materials visit the Rolex Awards for Enterprise Press Centre, www.rolexawards.com/press
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