Dr Jakub Bijak wins first Allianz European Demographer Award

Dr Jakub Bijak was awarded the Allianz European Demographer Award 2015 for his outstanding contributions in the field of population studies on demographic change.

The award ceremony took place on the evening of 18th March at the Allianz Forum in Berlin and formed part of the 4th Berlin Demography Forum. This is the first award established by Allianz SE, Population Europe and Berlin Demography Forum to honour outstanding research on the causes and consequences of population developments in Europe.

A selection committee of Population Europe and the European Association for Population Studies, chaired by Professor Dr Francesco C. Billari, chose Dr Bijak's research as it stood out from other excellent nominations.

Dr Andreas Edel, Executive Secretary of Population Europe, said: "Since gaining his doctorate at the Warsaw School of Economics in 2008, Dr Jakub Bijak has become one of the most promising young scientists. He draws on theoretical insights to describe complex social phenomena more effectively. This particularly applies to the question of what makes people migrate. His book Forecasting International Migration in Europe: A Bayesian View has been recognised by leading researchers as a milestone in the field."

Dr Bijak said that he was "thrilled to be selected for the Allianz European Demographer Award" and sees it as "recognition of the work done with colleagues in the more niche areas of demography and as an appreciation of the wonderful richness of our discipline." He said, "it adds to the joy of doing research in this fascinating field and training the next generation of demographers."

"My main area of interest - uncertainty - is becoming one of the key themes in the 21st century science, and it is exciting to be part of this development in demography. We now recognise that we need to be more realistic and honest about what we do not know, in order to make better and more robust decisions," he added.

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Posted 30/04/2015 13:15