The historian and political scientist Duong Keo from the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich has been awarded the “Voltaire Prize for Tolerance, International Understanding and Respect for Differences” from the University of Potsdam. The prize, worth 5,000 euros, was presented in Potsdam at the end of January. Keo researches the history of the Khmer Rouge. According to a press release from the Bundeswehr University in Neubiberg, his work promotes more differentiated and comprehensive information about the history of the genocide in Cambodia. He is also particularly committed to the integration of the Vietnamese minority living in the country.
Every year, the University of Potsdam awards the prize, which is worth 5,000 euros, to a person who is particularly committed to freedom of research and teaching and the right to freedom of expression. In his laudatory speech, the Potsdam Romance Studies and Comparative Studies professor Ottmar Ette particularly appreciated the large number of socio-political activities of the young researcher, “who has made his social commitment his research subject without slacking off in this commitment”.