On 23 November 2012, Prof. Aberra Mogessie (Board member of the Earth Science Matters Foundation, President of the Geological Society of Africa, based in the Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Graz, Austria) was bestowed with one of Argentina’s most prestigious prizes, the Federico Leloir Prize. This Prize, named after Dr Federico Leloir (1906-1987), the first Argentinean Nobel Laureate in Chemistry (1970), was given in recognition of the work by foreign experts who contributed significantly in promoting and strengthening cooperation in science, technology and innovation with Argentina, in the spirit of Leloir’s legacy. The Prize was provided by the Ministry of International Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation and handed over by the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Barañao at the Palacio San Martín in Buenos Aires.