David Attenborough Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences 2009

At its meeting in Oviedo, the Jury for the 2009 Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences, made up of Mr. Lluis Xabel Álvarez, Mr. Gonzalo Anes, Mr. Raúl Bocanegra, Ms. María Emilia Casas Baamonde, Ms. Adela Cortina, Mr. José Luis García Delgado, Mr. Manuel Jesús González, Mr. Luis González Seara, Ms. Carmen Iglesias, Mr. Aurelio Menéndez Menéndez, Mr. Manuel Menéndez, Mr. Adolfo Menéndez, Mr. José Oliu, Mr. José Manuel Otero Novas, Mr. Rafael Puyol, chaired by Mr. Manuel Fraga Iribarne and with Mr. Juan Vázquez acting as secretary, has decided to bestow the 2009 Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences on Sir David Attenborough.

Sir David Attenborough is a British scientist educated at the University of Cambridge and the London School of Economics. His extensive knowledge of Natural Sciences, Social Anthropology, Ecology, Ethology and Geography has enabled him to address the study of the Earth and of living beings via a creative and innovative combination of scholarship. His interest in the problems of our times, his permanent pursuit of excellence and the quality of his research have earned him the acknowledgement of the international academic community as well as making him a figure of great social renown thanks to the dissemination of his work in the major media, especially television.

For all these reasons, Sir David Attenborough's work is considered one of the great contributions to the defence of life and the conservation of our planet.

The historian Manuel Fernández Álvarez was runner-up for the award.

Oviedo, 4th June 2009