VIENNA, June 22,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Austrian born Julia Ebner was honored with Central European University's (CEU) Open Society
Prize in Vienna on June 21st amid the festivities of
CEU's graduation ceremony for its cohort of over 600 doctoral,
masters, and bachelor students.
"By awarding the prestigious CEU Open Society Prize to Dr.
Julia Ebner, CEU acknowledges her
extraordinary courage amidst persistent personal peril and applauds
her admirable commitment to the core principles of open societies,"
said CEU President and Rector Shalini
Randeria. "A researcher, who has analyzed the mechanisms and
root causes of extremism, which is one of the most dangerous
threats to democracy, she reminds us of the urgency of putting in
place effective counter-measures. Her remarkable scholarly
contribution to exposing strategies of radicalization fosters a
broader understanding of what's at stake."
Ebner is a leading expert in the field of online radicalization,
courageously exploring the complex domains of far-right and
Islamist extremism. By uncovering recruitment strategies,
propaganda machines, and online networks, she has provided unique
insight into tactics of extremist organizations as well as
recommendations on effectively countering them.
A postdoctoral researcher leading the Violent Extremism Lab at
Oxford's Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion, and Senior
Research Fellow at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, her
scholarship has informed policy and sparked crucial discussions
around dismantling the engines of online radicalization.
"I am deeply moved and honored to receive the CEU Open Society
Prize," Ebner said. "The global shift towards an increasingly
illiberal political landscape makes the study of anti-democratic,
anti-minority and anti-science mobilization even more important.
Against this background, this award is not only an extraordinary
recognition of my work, but an encouraging signal to others whose
work focuses on analyzing, exposing and preventing the drivers and
mechanisms of today's global resurgence of the
far-right."
The CEU Open Society Prize is awarded annually to an outstanding
individual or group of persons whose achievements have promoted
democracy and open societies, both of which are founding principles
of CEU. Previous winners include Sir Karl
Popper, Nobel Laurate for Literature Svetlana Alexievich,
the seventh Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi
Annan, former Minister for Health for Kerala, India, K.K. Shailaja Teacher. Last year, six
outstanding women received the prize for their
courageous fight against gender discrimination, and championing
women's education in Afghanistan.
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SOURCE Central European University
(CEU)