22 Jun 09

Professor Julian Savulescu has been voted 'Australia's Greatest Thinker'

Sanctioning performance-enhancing drugs in sport, genetic enhancement or cloning once it is safe are just some of the issues that Professor Julian Savulescu promotes discussion about.

And this week the Oxford University professor’s world-leading work in the ethics field has been rewarded with two awards in the space of one week, one of which was presented by Australia’s Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd.

On 10 June, Professor Savulescu, Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics at Oxford, received a 2009 Distinguished Alumni Award from Monash University, in Victoria, Australia, where he completed his medical degree followed by a PhD in philosophy. He later established and was director of the Ethics of Genetics Unit at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne before coming to Oxford.

And last week Professor Savulescu received an award from The Weekend Australian Magazine, which will be presented by the Australian Prime Minister. He won the category for the top emerging thinker in their series Next 100 Emerging Leaders. There are ten categories and a winner in each category.

Professor Savulescu said: ‘The two awards recognise the advances we have made in Oxford to promote the development of biomedical ethics and a secular approach to thinking about problems in contemporary society. We aim to bridge the gap between academic philosophy and public and political interests and concerns. The challenge of the modern university is to communicate with the public and to address the concerns of contemporary society.’

His Monash Award nomination was supported by eminent philosopher Professor Peter Singer, who was his PhD supervisor. He said: ’Since Monash University’s own involvement in the development of in vitro fertilization, progress in the biomedical sciences has continued to pose ethical, legal and social issues that are important for the entire world. In that field, Julian Savulescu is playing an important international role.’

‘It’s a great honour and a privilege to receive the distinguished alumnus award,’ said Professor Savulescu. ‘I feel very grateful to Monash University for giving me the opportunity to go forward into my career.’

The Weekend Australian Magazine launched the Next 100 Emerging Leaders at a time when Australia is looking to the future and “needs inspiring leaders in business, politics and our key institutions” and will “identify people who are setting agendas and inspiring others through their work and ideas”. The thinking category, which Professor Savulescu won, covered ideas and different ways of looking at the world and how we live, from policy to political systems to philosophy.

He said: ‘The future of the world’s development is in terms of intellectual capacity and mental capital. So it is a great honour and privilege to be selected as Australia’s leading thinker among its emerging leaders. We need to take seriously the importance, economic opportunities and potential for human advancement of the intellectual capital of developed countries with strong educational histories and structures like Australia and the UK.’