!!Balzan Prize 2016 awarded to three members of Academia Europaea

![The International Balzan Prize Foundation|http://www.balzan.org/en] awarded the three 2016 Balzan Prizes to three members of Academia Europaea:
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[{Image src='Boitani_Piero.JPG' caption='' height='200' alt='Piero Boitani' class='image_left'}]
__[Piero Boitani|Member/Boitani_Piero]__ - Comparative Literature: "''For his extraordinary ability to represent world literature as living dialogue with the classics of antiquity, the Middle Ages and the modern era; for his innovative studies on the history of the reception of fundamental myths and motives of Western civilization; for his philological method, which reveals the potential meaning of canonical texts and projects this meaning into the future.''" ([http://www.balzan.org/en/prizewinners/piero-boitani])
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[{Image src='Capasso_Federico_small.jpg' caption='' height='200' alt='Federico Capasso' class='image_left'}]
__[Federico Capasso|Member/Capasso_Federico]__ - Applied Photonics: "''For his pioneering work in the quantum design of new materials with specific electronic and optical features, which led to the realization of a fundamentally new class of laser, the Quantum Cascade Laser; for his major contributions in plasmonics and metamaterials at the forefront of photonics science and technology.''" ([http://www.balzan.org/en/prizewinners/federico-capasso])
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[{Image src='Jahn_Reinhard_small.jpg' caption='' height='200' alt='Reinhard Jahn_Reinhard' class='image_left'}]
__[Reinhard Jahn|Member/Jahn_Reinhard]__ -  Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience: "''For his pioneering studies on the molecular characterization of synaptic vesicles and the roles of protein complexes in the process of exocytosis – an essential mechanism for the transmission of signals in the nervous system.''" ([http://www.balzan.org/en/prizewinners/reinhard--jahn])
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The ceremony took place in the presence of the Presidents of the International Balzan Foundation "Prize", Enrico Decleva, and the International Balzan Foundation "Fund", Claudio Generali. In accordance with the ceremony’s usual formalities, each Prizewinner, introduced in turn by Salvatore Veca, Chairman of the General Prize Committee, gave a speech of acceptance and thanks.
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The amount of each Balzan Prize is 750,000 Swiss Francs; the Prizewinners must destine half of the prize to finance research projects that are preferably carried out by young scholars or scientists.
!!Academia Europaea congratulates with pride our members to this outstanding distinction!
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[{Image src='balzan_prize.jpg' caption='' height='200' alt='balzan_prize.jpg' class='image_right'}]
!Press release by the International Balzan Prize Foundation

''Rome, 17 November 2016 - The Balzan Prizes 2016 were presented today by the President of the Italian Republic. During the ceremony, which took place at the Palazzo del Quirinale, the prizes were presented to Piero Boitani, Federico Capasso and Reinhard Jahn. 750,000 Swiss Francs (approx. €685,000; $765,000) for each of the subjects. Half of the amount must be destined by the winners to research projects.''