IGU awarded Royal Geographical Society Special Gold Medal

 Emeritus Professor Mike Meadows of the Department of Environmental & Geographical Science was recently accepted, as President of the International Geographical Union (IGU), the Special Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society RGS).  The medal and certificate was presented at a glittering annual awards ceremony at the headquarters of the RGS in London by its President, Nigel Clifford.

 The Special Gold Medal has been awarded only once before and is specifically for institutions. As noted by the RGS President, the medal celebrates a centenary of IGU impact on international Geography.  The formal citation reads as follows:

 The Council of the Society has conferred upon you the Special Gold Medal for promoting geography through initiating and coordinating geographical research and teaching across the world.

 Awarded since 1832, the RGS prestigious medals celebrate excellence in geographical research and fieldwork, teaching and public engagement.  The Gold Medals are a gift to the Society from the reigning monarch, and are awarded with royal approval 'for the encouragement and promotion of geographical science and discovery’.

 In accepting the award, Professor Meadows warmly thanked the RGS for recognizing the efforts of the IGU over the past 100 years to bring Geographers together globally and to promote the discipline and foster international collaboration.