Andre Geim, professor of physics at the University of Manchester, has received the 2009 Koerber European Science Award for developing “the first two-dimensional crystals made of carbon atoms. These graphenes not only promise to revolutionize semiconductor, sensor, and display technology, but also lead us to expect breakthroughs in basic research in quantum physics.”

Andre Geim was a tutor for ICTP's Research Workshop in Condensed Matter in 1997. Subsequently, he lectured at the College on Physics of Nano-devices in 2006 and at Graphene Week in 2008.

The Koerber European Science Award supports European scientists who are pursuing particularly innovative research projects. Previous winners include Nobel laureates for medicine Luc Montagnier and Françoise Barré-Sinoussi.