Podgòrecki Prize 2011: David Nelken

The Podgòrecki Prize 2011 had to be awarded, by Prize rule, to a socio-legal scholar whose outstanding achievements in his/her academic career and scientific work span the course of decades.

This year the ceremonial announcement of the Prize’s winner has been officially made during a Plenary Session of the Joint International Conference of the Research Committee on Sociology of Law and the Central University of Himachal Pradesh – held in Dharamshala, India, on September 10-12, 2011 – by the Chair of the Prize Jury, Devanayak Sundaram from India, in accordance with other Jury members, Hanne Petersen, from Denmark and Harriet Silius from Finland.

The Jury members – having considered suggestions provided by other internationally re-known colleagues also – awarded DAVID NELKEN, verbatim,
in the form of distinguished and outstanding lifetime achievement across the globe, as an excellent scholar and publicist, as a pioneer in sociology of law, as a great communicator, as a devote administrator and as a “bridge” between legal culture. The nomination of Prof. David Nelken has been unanimous”.

As a matter of fact, as an excellent scholar and publicist David Nelken possesses an enviable publication record, being the author or editor of 24 books and more than 150 papers, all of them very well received by the international community of socio-legal scholars and published in important book series and journals.

In turn, as a pioneer in sociology of law David Nelken has been one of the first holders of an academic position in sociology of law in UK, as well as one of the most active scholar promoting either theoretical studies or empirical research, and raising interests in comparative approach, in a wide range of socio-legal areas as well as in a number of different socio-legal global-local contexts.

Besides, as a great communicator, David Nelken has been and still is teaching and lecturing in a variety of prestigious academic institutions all over the world, either as a Ordinary, Distinguished, Visiting, or Key-note speaker, Professor.

Then, as a devoted administrator, David Nelken can be mentioned as an excellent figure as Vice-president of RCSL Board and as member of the Onati IISL Board, Furthermore, he served as Onati IISL Book Series Editor- in-chief, appointed as a member of a number of International Journals’ Editorial Boards, selected as a Jury member of a previous Podgòrecki Prize, and so on.

Last, but not least, as a “bridge” between legal cultures, David Nelken has been and still is for sure one of the leading socio-legal scholar engaged with cross/inter/trans-cultural studies well beyond the so-called “Anglo-American” communicative mainstream. As it is well-known 7 of his most recent books have been translated in Chinese and from now on these will be of use for a number of Chinese students. Given the above, there is no doubt that the unanimous conferment of the 2011 Podgòrecki Prize to David Nelken for the outstanding value of his life-time scientific achievements will constitute also a living example for all emerging socio-legal scholars worldwide.
 

(Source: RCSL Newsletter Fall 2011)


This page last updated 23 January 2012