„Polarsternpreis 2015“ Award goes to Christian Brünner
Anita Rinner
The Austrian Space Forum annually awards the “Polarsternpreis” to people for their exceptional work and engagement in space activities.
The 2015 award went to em. Univ. Prof. Dr. Christian Brünner for his outstanding contribution to space affairs in Austria. He was awarded the prize for his engagement in establishing space law and space policy at all University law faculties in Austria. In 2001 he established the Austrian National Point of Contact of the Centre of the European Space Law in Graz. From 2001 to 2009 he chaired the Austrian National Point of Contact and passed it to Professor Irmgard Marboe, University of Vienna in 2009.
Since 2003 he has been a board member of the European Centre for Space Law (ECSL), since 2006 he has been a member of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL) and since 2012 he has been a member of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA).
In his laudatio Dr. Gernot Grömer, president of the Austrian Space Forum highlighted the outstanding personal commitment by Christian Brünner in promoting students in space law and space policy matters. Christian Brünner made it possible to bring students to the annual United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) Legal Subcommittees in Vienna and also helped students to get sponsored to participate in space conferences, summer schools and symposia. He supervised several diploma theses in space law and space policy topics. His space law lectures are interesting and he tries to provide an overview about all aspects of space law: legal, political, economic, financial, historical and cultural. Although he is a Professor emeritus, his engagement in space is still active. His focus is on space law and space policy teaching not only for space law students but also for students with no legal background. His main credo is: Encouraging students and young professionals.
Former “Polarsternpreis” awardees are: Otto Koudelka, Werner Weiss, Mazlan Othman, Dietmar Hager, Barbara Imhof, Maria Pflug-Hofmayr, Mike Köberl