The Heineken prizes

Over 50 years ago the first Heineken Prize was awarded as a gesture of appreciation for exceptional research achievements. Since then, the Heineken Prizes have grown to become an internationally renowned institution.
Alfred Henry Heineken was the third generation of Heinekens to take over the helm at the family-run brewery. Under his direction, the company developed to become one of the largest beer breweries in the world. Heineken was curious and fascinated by art and science, always asking questions and wanting to understand the things that confronted him. He felt that as an entrepreneur, one should do something for society in return. His lifelong interests in science and art were the driving force to start the Heineken Prizes in 1964, in honour of his father. Pavlov (Jubileumboek.nl) published a jubilee book about the Heineken Prizes of the latest five decades.

Uit het voorwoord:

A long tradition of scientific recognition

In 1973, my father took me with him to Leuven, to visit Heineken Prize laureate Professor De Duve. I was 19 at the time, and I can remember as clear as day how honoured I felt to have met such an erudite person. That girlish awe, of course, has long since faded, but the admiration I feel for those who carry out their work at the cutting edge of current knowledge has stayed with me to this day. It is an extraordinary thing to be part of a tradition in which progress in science and art is both recognised and acknowledged. I see that my children have acquired the same passion for the Heineken Prizes that I have inherited from my father. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Heineken Prizes. During this period, the institute has gained world renown and the prizes have moved with the times. In 2006, I had the honour of bringing a fifth Heineken Prize into being, the Heineken Prize for Cognitive Sciences. Furthermore, 2010 saw the introduction of the Heineken Young Scientists Awards, five incentive prizes for talented young researchers in the Netherlands. This, for me, is living proof that the Heineken Prizes are as alive and forward thinking today as they ever have been.
Science is not a competition, and scientists are not public figures competing for eternal fame and glory. What they do want, however, and for a variety of motives, is to help the world further, and they do so with heart and soul. Such dedication deserves our appreciation and our encourage¬ ment. The fact that we have been doing this with the Heineken Prizes for five decades fills me with pride.

Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken
Chairwoman of the Dr H.P. Heineken Foundation, the Dr A.H. Heineken Foundations and the C.L. de Carvalho-Heineken Foundation.