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Advisory Board

THE SELECTED ADVISORY BOARD

THE SELECTED ADVISORY BOARD

The Advisory Board proposes individuals who have rendered outstanding services to the preservation of world peace through their personal commitment. The Advisory Board accepts nominations for the election of the laureate from anyone. Proposals must be accompanied by a detailed statement of the reasons for the nomination, including achievements for peace and justice.

Prof. Dr. 
Hans-Gert  Pöttering

Former President of the European Parliament
Representative of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung for European Affairs

Hans-Gert Pöttering was born on 15 September 1945 in Bersenbrück (Lower Saxony). He studied law, politics and history at the Universities of Bonn and Geneva and spent a research period at Columbia University in New York. He was a Member of the European Parliament unintermitted from 1979 to 2014 and its President from 2007 to 2009. Before that, he was President of the EPP-ED Group in the European Parliament from 1999 to 2007. From January 2010 to January 2018, he was Chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and is now its Commissioner for European Affairs.

Hans-Gert Pöttering is the initiator and Chairman of the Hans-Gert Pöttering is the initiator and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the House of European History, which opened in Brussels in May 2017. From 2018 to 2022, he was Chairman of the Former Members Association, the association of former Members of the European Parliament in Brussels. He lectures on European politics at the University of Osnabrück.

Dr. Ruben Reike

Dr. Ruben Reike studied Political Science, Economic Policy and Modern and Contemporary History at the Universities of Bielefeld and Münster.

He obtained a Master’s degree in International Relations with a focus on peace and conflict studies in Brisbane/Australia in 2008.

After working for Amnesty International, for the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights and for Global Action to Prevent War, he completed his doctorate at Oxford University in 2014 with a thesis on the international responsibility to protect and on the prevention of international crimes.

He then conducted research on the individualization of war as part of an ERC Advanced Grant at the European University Institute in Florence.

Since 2018, Dr Reike has been working in science policies. First at the Science Council and since 2020 at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Hedy-Marie Ospelt

Committed family woman, longstanding volunteer in the social sector, and co-shaper of the Ospelt family enterprise in the Principality of Liechtenstein

Hedy-Marie Ospelt was born on February 22, 1969, in Triesen (Liechtenstein). She grew up in the Liechtenstein municipality of Balzers, where she also attended school. In 1991, she married entrepreneur Alexander Ospelt, and they have two adult sons.

After completing her commercial training in the fiduciary sector, she moved on to work at a Liechtenstein bank. Later, she returned to the company where she had completed her training, before becoming involved in her husband’s family business. For 15 years, Hedy-Marie volunteered in the social sector.

From an early age, Hedy-Marie knew she wanted to be a mother and family woman. Since the birth of her two sons, she has primarily dedicated herself to her family.

The family business also plays a central role for Hedy-Marie. She provides active support to her husband—whether in networking, maintaining business relationships, or participating in various economic conferences. Together with her husband, she has been supporting various charitable projects for many years.

In her free time, she enjoys being out in nature with the family dog, reading, practicing yoga and fitness, painting, nurturing her friendships, and pursuing her many interests.