In an evening celebrating scientific excellence, the eminent computer science theorist Christos Papadimitriou, and the internationally distinguished economist Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg, were awarded for their life’s work, which has changed the way we understand the world.
On Thursday 25 June, at a ceremony held at the Athens Concert Hall in the presence of representatives from the academic, scientific and political worlds, H.E. the President of the Republic, Mr Konstantinos An. Tasoulas, delivered an address and presented the Bodossaki Excellence Award 2026 to two outstanding scientists for their pioneering and internationally recognized life’s work. In the field of Technological Sciences, the Excellence Award was presented to Christos Papadimitriou, Donovan Family Professor of Computer Science, Columbia University, and in the field of Social Sciences, to Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg, William Nordhaus Professor of Economics and Global Affairs, Yale University. Responsible for the difficult task of selecting among the candidates, the Bodossaki Foundation’s Excellence Award Committee comprises eight internationally renowned foreign scientists, holders of top scientific distinctions, including the Nobel Prize in Economics, the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Prize, the Boltzmann Medal, the Lorentz Medal, the Spinoza Prize, and the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award, along with prominent members of scientific academies. Each award comes accompanied by a cash prize of €100,000.
In his address, the President of the Republic congratulated the laureates and praised the initiative taken by the Bodossaki Foundation to highlight scientific excellence, noting: ‘Dear laureates, through your long-term research and the direction of your academic pursuits, you have proven how fruitful the alignment of technological innovation with human values can be. May you continue your work with the same strength and inspiration.
‘Dear award presenters, in honouring the distinguished Greek scientists Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg and Christos Papadimitriou with the Bodossaki Excellence Award 2026 for their pioneering and internationally recognized work, you have reversed Pindar’s maxim “A good deed left unsung dies” in favour of recognizing, rewarding and promoting this noble work, so that it may continue to live—expanding, deepening, and transforming both science and society’.
The two scientists were introduced by the Co-Chairs of the Excellence Award Committee: Daniela Rus, MIT Panasonic Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), MIT, Member NAE, NAS and AAAS; and Sir Richard Blundell, David Ricardo Professor of Political Economy, Department of Economics, UCL, Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and Fellow of the British Academy (FBA). Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Fiscal Studies, London.
‘Christos Papadimitriou has helped shape the very foundations of computer science across the entire world’, Daniela Rus stressed, adding that ‘His work has shed light on some of the most important questions in the fields of algorithms, complexity theory, databases, optimization, game theory, economics, the internet, evolution, and artificial intelligence. He has shown us that computation is not merely a tool for solving problems; it is a language for comprehending the world. Tonight, here in Greece, in his homeland, this recognition holds special significance. It honours a world-renowned scientist and a Greek intellectual whose work reflects the most salient of Greek traditions: abstraction, rigour, beauty, argument, curiosity, and the pursuit of truth.’
‘Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg….’, Sir Richard Blundell noted, ‘is indisputably the world’s leading empirical researcher in the field of globalization and trade policy. Her path-breaking contributions have transformed our understanding of global trade and development. And this at a critical historical juncture, at which trade and globalization have assumed an increasingly central role in the policy debate across the world. The importance of her contribution is reflected not only in her long stream of highly cited scientific papers, but also in the immense influence her work has on real-world decisions. An influence that was probably made still more apparent with her appointment in 2018 as Chief Economist at the World Bank.’
In the laureates’ own words:
On the distinction bestowed upon him by the Bodossaki Excellence Award, Christos Papadimitriou said:
‘I have been fortunate to receive many awards during my career, and each has been a source of both surprise and joy—though this joy cannot compare to the fulfilment I derive from my research and teaching. The Bodossaki Excellence Award holds a special place among them, as it is the first scientific accolade I have received in Greece. I am especially moved to have been selected by such a distinguished international committee—a committee whose scientific stature, I dare say, exceeds that of any panel that has honoured me in the past. This matters to me deeply; it not only renders the award truly honorific, it is also an outstanding example of an impeccable, rigorous, and politically impartial process in my homeland, Greece.’
Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg noted with regard to her award:
‘This is the second time the Bodossaki Foundation has honoured my research work—the first being the Distinguished Young Scientist Award I received in 2003—and I am truly grateful for this distinction. I am a product of globalization and have benefited decisively from it. It is therefore anything but coincidental that a large part of my research explores the forces that shaped it and those that are now driving its unraveling. In an era where it is not only openness that is being challenged, but also science and intellect, showcasing scientific achievement carries particular significance.’
The list of laureates to date:
To date, nine leading figures from the international scientific community have received the Bodossaki Excellence Award in recognition of their exceptionally significant work across a wide range of scientific fields: Professors Ioannis Iliopoulos (2002), Kyriakos Nicolaou (2004), Athanasios Fokas (2006), Dimitris Christodoulou (2006), Evangelos Moudrianakis (2009), Charalambos Moutsopoulos (2011), Georgios Chrousos (2011), Chryssa Kouveliotou (2024) and Nektarios Tavernarakis (2024).
The Bodossaki Foundation remains committed to the continuous and comprehensive support of scientific work, in line with the deep belief of its founder, Prodromos Bodossakis Athanasiadis, in the important and essential benefits that scientific excellence offers to society as a whole.