2025-06-30 15:04
Dr. Norbert Csizmadia receives global sustainability medal
For the eighth time, the World Complexity Science Academy, an international institute and knowledge platform, has honored the work of researchers and scientists. Among the three 2025 awardees, Dr. Norbert Csizmadia, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the John von Neumann University Foundation, was awarded the “Sustainability Medal”. The distinguished jury's commendation highlighted his: “Breakthrough geofusion research and vision, and for an ‘inspiring journey’ through the 21st century's most significant challenges. His work brilliantly illustrates our world's complexity, shedding light on global geo-economic trends and the interconnections between places, people, mindsets, and disciplines.”
The significance of this international award is underscored by its first recipient: Hungarian scientist Ervin László, a founding member of the Club of Budapest and recognized as one of the world's 100 most influential intellectual leaders. Professor László, who now resides in Italy, is highly acclaimed as a pianist, philosopher, and futurologist.
The World Complexity Science Academy (WCSA) serves as both an organizational and systemic hub, fostering a global network of renowned systems researchers, experts, entrepreneurs, and political decision-makers. Its mission is to promote the "complex systems approach."
This year's 12th annual global conference focused on the interconnectedness and complexity of the emerging new world order. Uniquely, the event ran concurrently in Florence, Italy, and Curitiba, Brazil. Leaders, researchers, and thinkers from European, Brazilian, Mexican, and U.S. (Arizona) higher education institutions participated.
During the global conference's award ceremony and his subsequent presentation, Dr. Csizmadia Norbert underscored the paramount importance of geography in understanding our world's complexity. He emphasized that the three most crucial megatrends of our time—geopolitical challenges, the technological explosion, and global climate change and sustainability—are intricately linked. Comprehending these connections, he noted, is critically important and requires a geographically-based thinking, new maps, and fresh perspectives.
He highlighted that the three keys of this era are connectivity, complexity, and sustainability. These concepts must be collectively understood and adapted to grasp global processes. Long-term, a nation's future vision depends on sustainability (protecting natural values, emphasizing cultural richness) and a prospective mindset built on the fusion of talent, knowledge, technology, and capital.
John von Neumann University's knowledge centers are actively seeking solutions for critical areas. These include geopolitics (addressing the challenges of a long-term, sustainable Eurasian world order), sustainability (a comprehensive, life-centered approach), and new types of sustainable technological solutions. Examples of these solutions include sustainable vehicle manufacturing, material technology, the hydrogen economy, and emerging challenges in horticultural and agricultural sciences.