John Polanyi
Biography:
JOHN POLANYI, educated at Manchester University, England, was a post-doctoral fellow at Princeton University and the National Research Council of Canada. He is presently a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Toronto. He is a member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada (P.C.), and a Companion of the Order of Canada (C.C.). His awards include the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Royal Medal of the Royal Society of London, and some thirty honorary degrees from six countries.
He has served on the Prime Minister of Canada's Advisory Board on Science and Technology and the Premier's Council of Ontario. He was a founding member of both the Committee on Scholarly Freedom of the Royal Society, and a further international human rights organization, the Canadian Committee for Scientists and Scholars, of which he is the current President. Additionally he was the founding Chairman of the Canadian Pugwash Group in 1960, and has been active for four decades in International Pugwash.
Polyani has written extensively on science policy, the control of armaments, and peacekeeping. He is co-editor of a book, "The Dangers of Nuclear War", and was a participant in the "Canada 21" study of a 21st century defence posture for Canada. He was co-chair (with Sir Brian Urquhart) of the Department of Foreign Affairs International Consultative Committee on a Rapid Response Capability for the United Nations.