Argo Awards- Distinguished Greeks abroad honoured

The Argo 2020 Awards were presented to eight Greek women and men who have successfully pursued careers abroad.

The online ceremony on Thursday evening was attended by the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou and the Vice President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas.

Argo, the Hellenic Network in Brussels that organises the award ceremonies, was founded in 2014 as an initiative of Greeks living in the Belgian capital who wanted to highlight Greece’s extroversion, creativity, cosmopolitanism and open horizons.

The Argo 2020 Awards were given to the following:

• Science Prize: Professor Eleftheria Zeggini (Director of the Institute of Translational Genomics in Helmholtz Zentrum München in Neuherberg, Germany)
• Culture and Arts Award: Teodor Currentzis (Greek conductor, musician and actor)
• Entrepreneurship Award: Albert Bourla (Pfizer Chairman and CEO)
• Innovation Award: Michael Tzannes (Accusonus Co-Founder & Chairman)
• Humanitarian Award: Dr. George Velmahos (Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School)
• Public Award: Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos (President of the European Court of Human Rights)
• Sports Award: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greek professional basketball player)
• Gastronomy Award: Asimakis Chaniotis (the youngest Michelin Star chef in London)

"We all know that the Greeks of the diaspora excel in most aspects of social life, produce acclaimed scientific work, discover innovative solutions, hold leading positions in large companies, promote the arts and culture, are pioneers in the field of humanities and have made great achievements in sport. They are thus among the best in their field and industry, vindicating their efforts in difficult conditions," Professor Vassilios Skouris, former president of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and head of the selection committee for the Argo Awards said.

"In fact, with the forced relocation of many remarkable young scientists and executives during the Greek economic crisis of the last decade, the number of highly educated Greeks abroad increased geometrically, depriving our country to some extent of valuable human capital," he added.