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Danida alum receives prize for participating in kick-starting Costa Rica’s Climate Strategy


Since the 1960s, almost 30.000 individuals from the developing and growth countries that Denmark collaborates with have received a Danida fellowship either as Masters or PhD students or as participants in Danida Fellowship Centre’s capacity developing learning programmes. In 2017, we inaugurated the Danida Alumni Prize to pay tribute to the achievements of Danida alumni. The first prize was awarded to Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

In 2021, we had the great honour of awarding the prize to Dr Olman Segura-Bonilla, Director General at the International Centre of Economic Policies for Sustainable Development for his pioneering and tireless efforts to use innovation and new knowledge to advance the green transition in Costa Rica. Dr. Olman Segura-Bonilla earned his Ph.D. in 2000 from Aalborg University, where he participated in the research project “Sustainable Development Strategies for Central America” under Danida’s Enhancing Research Capacity, ENRECA programme.

In his PhD project, Segura-Bonilla developed concepts that contributed to Costa Rica’s climate strategy in terms of carbon emission reduction, which later on became an essential part of the strategy. His innovative thinking and ability to create new knowledge and implement this knowledge has contributed in making Costa Rica a country in the forefront of green transition. Moreover, his interest in sustainable development has also made Costa Rica a pioneering country in eco-tourism.

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