Professor Brian Cox, Photo credit: Drew Forsyth
The English College in Prague is delighted to announce that two of the school’s major academic prizes are to be renamed in honour of distinguished British figures whose work has inspired generations of students in their respective fields.
The College’s History Prize will be known as the Sir Anthony Seldon Prize for History, and the Physics Prize will become the Professor Brian Cox Prize for Physics.
Headmaster Dr Nigel Brown says, “We are very grateful to Sir Anthony and Professor Cox for allowing us to use their names in connection with these prizes. They will be awarded for the first time at our next Graduation ceremony in May. We look forward to celebrating the achievements of our students and to associating them with two such inspirational figures.”
The Sir Anthony Seldon Prize for History
Photo: courtesy of Sir Anthony Seldon
Sir Anthony Seldon, one of Britain’s leading contemporary historians, has kindly agreed to give his name to ECP’s History Prize. A former headmaster and prolific author, Sir Anthony is best known for his acclaimed political biographies and his educational leadership. He has served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham and was previously Headmaster of Wellington College in Berkshire. In March 2023, following the tragic death of the previous Head, he took up the position of Headmaster at Epsom College. Then in September 2024, he returned to Wellington College as the Founding Director of Wellington College Education. Its mission is to “shape and refine what education should mean in the mid-21st century.”
Sir Anthony was knighted in the 2014 Birthday Honours List for Services to Education and Modern Political History. We are therefore delighted to be able to name our History Prize after him in recognition of his lifelong commitment to both scholarship and education. Sir Anthony told us, “I am so proud to have this prize named after me because I think the English College in Prague is such a very remarkable school, which is doing such excellent work.”
Photo: ECP archives
The Professor Brian Cox Prize for Physics
Photo credit: Mark Harrison
Equally exciting is the news that Professor Brian Cox, the renowned physicist and science communicator, has also generously agreed to allow the College to name the Physics prize after him.
Professor Cox is a physicist, broadcaster and Professor of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester. He first came to public attention through his work on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. He is widely known for presenting a series of landmark BBC science programmes, including Wonders of the Universe, The Planets, and Forces of Nature. His aim is to make complex scientific ideas accessible to a broader public audience.
Through his many documentaries and public lectures, Professor Cox has inspired a generation of young people to explore the wonders of the physical world and we are proud to name our Physics prize in his honour, celebrating his contribution to scientific understanding and communication. When we asked him if we could re-name the ECP Physics prize after him, he replied enthusiastically, saying, “YES – of course, it would be a tremendous honour to have the IB Physics Prize named after me! Thank you again – I’m honoured!” Professor Cox is bringing his new live show to Prague in September 2026 and we are hoping to take a party of students to see it – including the first winner of his prize!