The “Demography Prize for Young Scientists” makes a great contribution to the shaping of public awareness for demography-related topics - the public is being sensitized to these topics every two years by the announcement of the award and the laureates, and the publication of the outcome.

By the means of the award, the idf promotes societal discussion of demographic change, gives it a scientific basis and offers perspectives for further action to the decision makers. The idf hopes to increase the number of theses and dissertations on the subject demography by calling young scholars’ attention to this topic.

The institute believes that the interest in demography-related topics will exist for a lifetime if one has written a thesis on it in younger years. In France, for example, every child knows the total fertility rate of the French population, whereas the German awareness of demography is underdeveloped. It is essential to change this situation.
The first Prize for Demography 2006/2007 dealt with the topic “Increasing the Birth Rate in Germany within the Framework of a Liberal Society”. It took place under the patronage of German Federal Minister of Transport Wolfgang Tiefensee. The second award 2008/2009 is currently set to cover the topic “Opportunities of Shrinking Populations”. Each award ceremony takes place within a convention on demography where renowned scientists discuss the subject with the laureates.

The next symposium will take place in Berlin on the 5th of March 2010. For further information please click here .