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THE HOLBERG PRIZE 2014

Interview with Holberg Prize 2014 winner: Michael Cook

In this video, Professor Michael Cook discusses Islam’s resurgence and how this ties in with political developments. On 4 June, he received the Holberg Prize for 2014.

Michael Cook - Holberg Prize laureate 2014

Producer:
Frode Ims / Solrun Dregelid

Main content

The Holberg Prize and the Nils Klim Prize are celebrated at the University of Bergen (UiB) in the first week of June every year. The prize is often referred to as a ’Nobel Prize of the social sciences’.

The Holberg Prize 2014 winner is Professor Michael Cook from the Department of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University. He is the first British recipient of the Holberg Prize. The prize winner is awarded with NOK 4.5 million (approximately EUR 550,000). The winner of the 2014 prize was announced in March.

Professor Cook is one of the world’s leading scholars on Islamic history. He has contributed strongly to a greater understanding of the origins of Islam, as well as the ethics and politics of Islam. He was among the first to use non-Islamic source material in this research.

Read this statement from the Holberg Committee on why Professor Cook was awarded this year’s prize.

The Holberg Prize is awarded annually to scholars who have made outstanding contributions to research in the arts and humanities, social science, law or theology.

Read more about the Holberg Prize here.