Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla on Thursday was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in honor of his role in developing a safe COVID-19 vaccine.
Bourla and his company were the first to develop a safe and effective vaccine against the novel coronavirus, done through the use of mRNA techniques in just nine months. Since then, the vaccine has gone on to be used all over the world and is still widely held as the gold standard for COVID-19 vaccinations.
The award, given to Bourla by Technion president Prof. Uri Sivan during the graduation ceremony for 1,869 undergraduate students, recognized his "exceptional leadership" in developing the vaccine "in the face of a global crisis."
An extraordinary biotechnological achievement
"The development of the COVID-19 vaccine is an extraordinary biotechnological achievement that exemplifies the importance of science and multidisciplinary research," Sivan noted. "The vaccine helped rescue the world from the crisis that began at the end of 2019, with the epidemic outbreak. Dr. Bourla's family history, as a son of Holocaust survivors from Thessaloniki, is a symbol of the remarkable vitality of the Jewish people, their liveliness, and their renewal capacity in the wake of the Holocaust."
“As a scientist and a Jew, I can’t overstate how much it means to me to receive this degree and to be invited to address this year’s graduating class," Bourla said in a speech to the graduating students.
"Since first opening its doors in 1924, the Technion has been a beacon of light not only for Israel, but for the entire world. The story of the Technion, like that of my company, Pfizer, is one of innovation, but also of courage and optimism – all of which have helped give birth to technological and scientific breakthroughs aimed at making the world a better place."
"Since first opening its doors in 1924, the Technion has been a beacon of light not only for Israel, but for the entire world. The story of the Technion, like that of my company, Pfizer, is one of innovation, but also of courage and optimism – all of which have helped give birth to technological and scientific breakthroughs aimed at making the world a better place."
Dr. Albert Bourla
And indeed, innovation, courage and optimism were the values he credited with helping Pfizer develop the vaccine so quickly.
“Innovation, courage, and optimism are three things that define my colleagues at Pfizer. It took courage to make the counterintuitive decision to use mRNA technology in the COVID-19 vaccine we developed with BioNTech," he said. "This courage not only helped us deliver a safe and effective vaccine in only nine months, but it may also prove to be an important step in unlocking the great promise that the technology holds for many other therapeutic areas, including cancer and rare disease. Our successful vaccine journey showed us we can make the impossible possible – and our colleagues are now taking this newfound optimism to their work in other areas.”
This honorary doctorate follows Bourla being awarded the Genesis Prize, an annual prize referred to by some as the "Jewish Nobel" which honors extraordinary individuals for their outstanding professional achievement, contribution to humanity, and commitment to Jewish values and the State of Israel.
Bourla was awarded the prize on Wednesday, along with the $1 million cash prize, which he says he will use to help establish a Holocaust museum in Thessaloniki.