Mary Beard 2016 Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences

At its meeting in Oviedo, the Jury for the 2016 Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences, composed of M.ª Paz Battaner Arias, Marta Elvira Rojo, Isabel Gómez-Acebo y Duque de Estrada, Mauro Guillén Rodríguez, Óscar Loureda Lamas, Sami Naїr, José Manuel Otero Novas, Joseph Pérez, Rafael Puyol Antolín, Isaac Querub Caro, Amelia Valcárcel Bernaldo de Quirós y Fernando Vallespín Oña, chaired by Carmen Iglesias Cano, Countess of Gisbert, and with Juan Vázquez García acting as secretary, has decided to grant the 2016 Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences to Mary Beard for her outstanding contribution to the study of Ancient Greco-Roman culture, politics and society.

Professor at the University of Cambridge, Mary Beard is one of the most influential European intellectuals of today, enjoying widespread recognition within both academia and society at large.

The Jury has especially prized the ability of the laureate to integrate the legacy of classical antiquity in our experience of the present. The award thus highlights the heritage of the classical tradition and recognizes the humanities as a source of inspiration for social debate and contemporary politics. Mary Beard’s work demonstrates her extraordinary talent for making specialized knowledge both accessible and relevant to the general public.

Oviedo, 25th May 2016