# Ilya Prigogine

_Russian-Belgian physical chemist (1917–2003)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/ilya-prigogine
Last updated: 2026-11-01

> Viscount Ilya Romanovich Prigogine (; Russian: Илья Романович Пригожин; 25 January [O.S. 12 January] 1917 – 28 May 2003) was a Belgian physical chemist of Russian origin, noted for his work on dissipative structures, complex systems, and irreversibility.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 12 January 1917 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q183509#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Moscow ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q183509#P19))
- **Died:** 28 May 2003 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q183509#P570))
- **Place of death:** Brussels metropolitan area ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q183509#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Belgium; Russian Empire ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q183509#P27))
- **Occupation:** philosopher; physicist; university teacher; chemist; non-fiction writer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q183509#P106))
- **Education:** Université libre de Bruxelles ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q183509#P69))
- **Awards:** Francqui Prize; honorary doctor of the University of Poitiers; Bourke Award; honorary doctorate from University of Bordeaux-I; Cothenius Medal; Rumford Medal; Nobel Prize in Chemistry; honorary doctor of the Paul Cézanne University; Honda Prize; honorary doctorate of Tours University; honorary doctorate from the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis; Kampé de Fériet Award; honorary doctor of the National Polytechnic Institute of Lorraine; honorary doctorate of the University of Valladolid; honorary doctorate of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q183509#P166))

## About

Prigogine's work most notably earned him the 1977 Nobel Prize in Chemistry “for his contributions to non-equilibrium thermodynamics, particularly the theory of dissipative structures”, as well as the Francqui Prize in 1955, and the Rumford Medal in 1976.

## Questions

**When was Ilya Prigogine born?**  
Ilya Prigogine was born on 12 January 1917 in Moscow.

**Where did Ilya Prigogine study?**  
Ilya Prigogine was educated at Université libre de Bruxelles.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Ilya Prigogine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilya_Prigogine) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q183509](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q183509) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Ilya Prigogine 1977c.jpg by Unknown (Keystone - US) (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ilya_Prigogine_1977c.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Ilya Prigogine, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Ilya Prigogine 1977c.jpg — Unknown (Keystone - US), Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Ilya Prigogine". DigiNepal. Last updated 1 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/ilya-prigogine. Retrieved 7 November 2026.