27-year-old Egyptian Hossam Abdelgawad has been honored on 27 May at the International Transport Forum, the leading global mobility summit in Leipzig, Germany. The PhD-candidate from the University of Toronto, Canada, has received the Young Researcher of the Year Award 2010 for his study, which offers a novel approach to the mass evacuation of major cities in case of a catastrophe.

The Award will be presented at the International Transport Forum in Leipzig by German Transport Minister, Peter Ramsauer. In all, 31 papers from participants of 32 different nationalities (including co-authors) were received. “The Young Researcher Award is obviously filling a gap in the transport research scene”, said Jack Short, Secretary General of the ITF. “We are particularly impressed with the wide range of approaches to pressing problems transport faces.”

The International Transport Forum is a strategic think tank for the transport sector. Each year, it brings together Ministers from over 50 countries, along with leading decision-makers and actors from the private sector, civil society and research, to address transport issues of strategic importance. An intergovernmental organisation linked to the OECD, the Forum<$#$>s goal is to help shape the transport policy agenda, and ensure that it contributes to economic growth, environmental protection, social inclusion and the preservation of human life and wellbeing. The 2010 International Transport Forum, was held on 26-28 May in Leipzig, Germany,  focused on Transport and Innovation: Unleashing the Potential.