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VUB glaciologist Harry Zekollari wins the prestigious FWO Climate Prize 2026
BRUSSELS, 1 July 2026 – Professor Harry Zekollari, a glaciologist at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), will be one of three laureates to receive the 2026 Scientific Prize for Climate Research from the Belgian Science Fund (FWO). The biennial prize recognises his groundbreaking research into the evolution of glaciers in a warming climate and his strong commitment to sharing these scientific insights with the general public.
With the Climate Research Scientific Prize, the FWO honours three outstanding researchers who, within their own disciplines, are working towards the same mission: to better understand our planet in a warming climate. Professor Zekollari leads the bglacier team within the Department of Water and Climate (HYDR) at the VUB. Together with his team, he is mapping how ice masses worldwide are responding to global warming and what the concrete consequences of this are for humanity.
Advanced computer models and intensive fieldwork
Zekollari’s research combines advanced computer models with satellite observations and intensive fieldwork at locations such as Switzerland and the vicinity of the Belgian Princess Elisabeth Station in Antarctica. By comparing historical data with current measurements, the researchers are able to make accurate predictions about the future of the world’s ice.
After all, the impact of shrinking glaciers is enormous and extends far beyond the mountain ranges themselves. Glaciers serve as crucial water sources for hundreds of millions of people in densely populated valleys, such as those of the Indus and the Ganges. Furthermore, the meltwater contributes to rising sea levels, meaning that the consequences of climate change are also being felt directly in Belgium.
Glaciers as a visual symbol
Zekollari is particularly delighted with the FWO prize, precisely because it also emphasises science communication: “Glaciers are ideally suited to making climate issues tangible. Whilst abstract figures on temperature rises sometimes fail to make much of an impression on the general public, images of melting glaciers over the years speak volumes.”
The laureate emphasises that his work is based on hard facts and the laws of physics and mathematics. Although climate science is sometimes labelled as activism in public debate, Zekollari sees it differently: “The figures presented are simply the results of rigorous research. Moreover, the science carries a clear message of hope: as a society, we still largely hold the future in our own hands, and our choices will determine how much ice will ultimately melt.”
Contact:
Prof. Harry Zekollari: harry.zekollari@vub.be, telephone number available via the press office
Koen Stein
