SPS academic receives prestigious Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Prize
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Dr Harshan Kumarasingham, Senior Lecturer in British Politics, has been awarded the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Prize for his work on constitutional legacies, politics and history.
The award is for internationally renowned academics in recognition of their outstanding accomplishments in research to date and their exceptional promise for the future. It is awarded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Germany) and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
Dr Kumarasingham, who works at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Social and Political Science, received the prize due to his significant and internationally respected contribution to multi-disciplinary research, across the fields of history, law and politics.
The commendation from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation stated: “He has had significant impact well beyond any narrow disciplinary area by being someone who actively works in a multi-disciplinary way, especially ranging across History, Law and Politics and who is internationally respected and cited across these disciplines in his area. His renowned concept of ‘Eastminster’, for example, which for the first time analysed the constitutional legacy of Britain and the Westminster model across Asia, was a major scholarly intervention, which will have a lasting impact. Kumarasingham is a rising star, who has arguably done more than most contemporary British scholars to revive the field of constitutional history in the United Kingdom showing its importance to comprehend power and society.”
Dr Kumarasingham said: "I feel extremely honoured and humbled to receive the Bessel Prize from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the German Government for my work in constitutional studies and it will be a great opportunity to carry out further research in the area.”
Dr Kumarasingham received the award at a ceremony on Friday 24 March.