Accreditation for #LiNo18

Accredited journalists at the Lindau Meetings have free access to all lectures and panel discussions. The organisers will assist with arranging meetings and interviews with Nobel Laureates, young scientists or guests. 

 

Apply now to be accredited for the 68th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

 

What’s in store for journalists?

 

The Lindau Meeting is especially known for its unconstrained atmosphere, which offers many opportunities for informal exchange with the meeting participants on the fringes of the sessions as well as during social events. Every year, about 100 journalists from around 30 countries register for accreditation. 

 

We offer photos, audio data and film footage of the meeting free of charge:

Lindau Mediatheque

Photos

 

 

Travel Grants for #LiNo18

Journalists who would like to cover the 68th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting (#LiNo18) may apply for travel grants. The Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings will compensate travel costs up to a certain amount and accommodation for four nights.

Key topics of the 68th Lindau Meeting will include the circadian clock, genetic engineering, science in a post-factual era and science publishing. The programme will include numerous lectures, panel discussions, Agora Talks, master classes and a poster session.

Accredited journalists have free access to the main programme sessions. In addition, there will be plenty of opportunities for informal exchange with the meeting participants on the fringes of the sessions as well as during the social events.

 

Application Process

The application is open to all journalists world-wide.

 

You are asked to submit:

  • A CV listing your professional experience and your current position
  • 2–3 samples of your work
  • A letter of motivation stating your specific interest in the meeting and its participants, how you are planning to cover the meeting (the type and extent of the work you will produce) and the media outlet where you aim to publish your pieces
  • Please let us know if you would like us to set up interviews with specific meetings participants (the full list of attending laureates will be published by the end of February).

The application deadline is 15 April 2018. Applicants will be notified of the results by the end of April.

 

Please submit your application documents in a single PDF file to:

 

Gero von der Stein, Head of Communications

Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings

gero.vonderstein@lindau-nobel.org

Press Releases

Please find below a selection of news and press releases on the Lindau Meetings, on the activities of the Council and the Foundation, as well as on select outreach projects. Further information will be provided upon request.

 

If you would like to receive press releases via email, please contact the communications team.

Press Release, 22 August 2017

Mario Draghi Inaugurates the 6th Lindau Meeting on Economic Sciences  –  17 Nobel Laureates and 350 Young Economists Will Participate

The 6th Lindau Meeting on Economic Sciences will be launched tomorrow (Wednesday, 23 August) with an opening speech by Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank. The participants of the meeting include 17 Nobel Laureates and 350 young economists from 66 countries, who will have the opportunity for in-depth exchange with each other until Saturday, 26 August. The participating laureates include Oliver Hart and Bengt Holmström, who in 2016 together received the ‘Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel’, which is generally referred to as the Nobel Prize in Economics.

 

The President of the Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg, said in advance with a view to her opening speech: “I want to emphasise that Lindau has always given an appropriate answer to isolationism: hundreds of the best minds from all continents come here to discuss new approaches and share their experiences. The international and cross-generational dialogue that takes place in Lindau has, in the past, led to constructive solutions to some of the world’s challenges. It is my hope that this year’s meeting is no different.”

 

The key topics of the Lindau Meeting include social inequality, research in the areas of contract and organisational theory as well as monetary and fiscal policy. Mario Draghi’s remarks are eagerly awaited. The ECB President will speak about the interaction between research and monetary policy decision making, and how both have developed in response to the financial crisis. Mario Draghi himself taught for many years as a professor of economics at Italian universities.

 

As part of the Get-Together in the Dornier Museum in Friedrichshafen on Wednesday evening, the Chief of Staff of the German Chancellery, Federal Minister Peter Altmaier, will speak as representative of the German federal government. According to information provided by the Federal Chancellery, in his talk he will stress the importance of international cooperation and multilateralism – especially in times of separatism.

 

The participating young economists are excellent students, PhD candidates and post-doctoral researchers under the age of 35, who have undergone a multi-stage, international selection process. They can now look forward to a programme which includes lectures by the laureates and panel discussions. In addition, this year’s meeting will, for the first time, feature seminars in which more than 80 young economists will present their own research work to laureates and receive individual feedback.

 

On Saturday, 26 August, there will be a boat trip on Lake Constance to Mainau Island, where the meeting will be brought to a close with a panel discussion on the challenges of global social inequality.

 

Since their founding in 1951, the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings have developed into a forum for international exchange in the natural sciences that is unique worldwide. Since 2004, meetings on the economic sciences have also taken place. The meetings serve to promote knowledge transfer, to inspire and to foster networking among scientists.

 

Press Release, 30 June 2017

Conclusion of the 67th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting – Klaus Kleinfeld appointed Honorary Senator

The 67th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting drew to a close today on Mainau Island with a panel discussion on ‘Ethics in Science’. The President of the Council, Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg, bade farewell to the participants, who came from close to 80 countries.

 

For the past week, 28 Nobel Laureates and 420 international young scientists have dedicated themselves to central topics in chemistry, and have discussed the role of science in a ‘post-truth age’. At the invitation of the state of Baden-Württemberg, the participants were, as in previous years, taken by ship from Lindau to the close of the Meeting on Mainau Island. There, the German top manager Klaus Kleinfeld was appointed an Honorary Senator of the Foundation.

 

“During this week, we could experience up-close how thrilling it is when scientists from the whole world stand up for the central importance of facts. A signal of strength and unity has been sent out from Lindau”, said Countess Bettina Bernadotte. Young scientist Hlamulo Makelane from South Africa summarised her experiences in Lindau: “I found it truly inspiring to meet the Nobel Laureates. They are so down-to-earth and normal that it gives me hope that I can achieve as much as they have.” During the final session, she addressed the meeting participants with some closing remarks representing the young scientists.

 

The participants in the discussion on ‘Ethics in Science’ included Nobel Laureate Martin Chalfie, chemistry professor Jeffrey D. Kovac (University of Tennessee), young scientists Michael Lerch (University of Groningen) and Karen Stroobants (University of Cambridge) as well as Ahmet Üzümcü, Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague (OPCW). Üzümcü accepted the Nobel Peace Prize 2013 on behalf of the OPCW. The discussants consulted on what factors promote unethical conduct, the consequences that this has for the relationship between science and society and how chemists can conduct themselves in an ethical manner.

 

In announcing the appointment of Klaus Kleinfeld as Honorary Senator of the Foundation, Jürgen Kluge, Chairman of the Board of Directors, paid tribute to the outstanding qualities of the former CEO of Siemens and Alcoa. “An integral part of his leadership is the conviction, that leaders need to be personally independent but at the same time team players.” Kluge also thanked Kleinfeld on behalf of the Board of Directors for his longstanding accompaniment and support of the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings.

 

The participants, who took part in the programme at the invitation of the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-Württemberg, used the boat trip on the ‘Sonnenkönigin’ motor vessel as well as the subsequent picnic on the meadows in front of Mainau’s baroque castle for informal exchange. Minister Theresia Bauer was represented by Assistant Secretary Ulrich Steinbach, who said the following with regard to the closing programme: “Ethics are central to science and research – especially in a time in which scientific findings are being declared as ‘untrue’.”

 

The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings have been hosted on the banks of Lake Constance every year since 1951. The meeting traditionally ends with an excursion to Mainau Island, the seat of the Bernadotte af Wisborg family. Count Lennart Bernadotte af Wisborg was a co-founder of the meetings and long-time president of the Council.

 

 

Press Release, 25 June 2017

Inauguration of the 67th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting with an Appeal for Climate Protection: 28 Nobel Laureates and 420 Young Scientists Participating

The 67th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting was today inaugurated in Lindau on the banks of Lake Constance in Germany. The guests, who hail from approximately 80 countries, were welcomed by the President of the Council, Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg. In total, 28 Nobel Laureates and 420 young scientists from around the world will participate in this year’s meeting, which runs until Friday, 30 June and is dedicated to chemistry.

 

In her opening address, Countess Bernadotte exhorted scientists to be more politically active in this ‘post-truth era’. “Scientists cannot ignore what is happening in the world. Some rulers, and people, seem to feel threatened by progress and the fact-oriented power of science.” With its focus on open and constructive dialogue, the Lindau Meetings can act as the necessary antithesis of this ideology by encouraging young scientists to network with each other and to stand up for science.

 

The keynote speech by Steven Chu, Nobel Laureate and former US Secretary of Energy (2009-13) under Barack Obama, was read by Nobel Laureate William E. Moerner, because Chu had to cancel his attendance at short notice. The speech was dedicated to the devastating consequences of climate change, which cannot be ignored, and stressed the importance of evidence-based research for global climate policies. Chu criticised the proposed funding cuts to the budgets for both climate and clean energy research under US President Trump and made an impassioned plea for a rethink of humanity’s attitude to the clear dangers of climate change. “A changing climate does not respect national boundaries,” he stressed. Chu closed his speech with an appeal to the next generation of scientists in the audience: “I close my remarks by asking the young students gathering this week at the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting to consider joining the effort to combat climate change.”

 

Steven Chu and William Moerner were among the co-initiators of the Mainau Declaration on Climate Change during the 2015 Lindau Meeting. In addition to climate change and the role of science in a post-truth age, molecular machines are another of the core topics of the 67th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. For the development of these microscopic structures, two of the participants at the Meeting, Bernard Feringa and Jean-Pierre Sauvage, received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016 together with Sir Fraser Stoddart.

 

Federal Minister Johanna Wanka represented Germany at the inauguration – the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is among the biggest supporters of the Lindau Meetings. In her speech, the minister highlighted the special character of the meeting: “Above all, the discussions and the exchange between the generations – the laureates, the young researchers and students from many countries of the world – are what make this event unique,” said Wanka. She further stressed: “We need bright minds that foster advancement. That’s why we put special emphasis on strengthening science in Germany.”

 

The meeting will run until Friday, 30 June, giving the participating Nobel Laureates and young scientists ample opportunity for lively, intellectual exchange. Numerous talks, discussions, master classes and, for the first time, so-called poster flashes, at which selected young scientists present their research in short talks, are on the programme.
The meeting will be brought to a close on Friday on Mainau Island with a panel discussion on the theme of ‘Ethics in science’. The discussants will include Ahmet Üzümcü, Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Üzümcü accepted the Nobel Peace Prize 2013 on behalf of the organisation.

 

The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings have been hosted on the banks of Lake Constance every year since 1951. Owing to the ongoing renovation of the local conference hall, this year’s meeting is again taking place in Lindau’s city theatre. The number of participants has therefore been reduced from the usual 600 to 450.

 

Press Release, 26 May 2017

360 Young Economists have been selected to take part in the 6th Lindau Meeting on Economic Sciences together with 19 Laureates

360 young economists from 66 nations will participate in the 6th Lindau Meeting on Economic Sciences together with Laureates of the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.
The meeting will take place on 23–26 August, 2017 in Lindau (Germany) on Lake Constance.

 

Those accepted to the meeting have passed a multi-stage international selection process, which followed nominations from many scientific institutions and individuals including some laureates. The young economists are outstanding graduate students, post-docs and faculty under the age of 35. The proportion of women is 43 percent. The United States, the UK, Austria and Switzerland are the most strongly represented countries alongside Germany.

 

“The field of participants is top notch. Many of the students are really among the best in their field. I am especially pleased that excellent young economists from developing countries in Africa and Asia will participate in the meeting,” says Torsten Persson, Secretary of the Committee for the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel and member of the Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings. Persson is from Stockholm University and has led the selection process together with Klaus Schmidt, professor of economics at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, and Martin Hellwig, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods in Bonn.

 

Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank, will be the keynote speaker at the opening ceremony of the Lindau Meeting on 23 August. The attending 19 laureates include Oliver Hart and Bengt Holmström, who received the 2016 prize for their contributions to contract theory. In addition to research on contracts, incentives and organisations, key topics at this year’s meeting will include monetary and fiscal policy as well as the economics of inequality.

 

The Lindau Meeting on Economic Sciences has been held every three years since 2004. The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings which alternate between physiology/medicine, physics and chemistry – the three natural science Nobel Prize disciplines – have been held since 1951.

 

The young economists can expect a four-day programme with numerous lectures and panel discussions. In seminars, some of them will also have the opportunity to present their own research and discuss it with up to six laureates.

 

“The meeting promotes cooperation among young economists worldwide and gives them a unique opportunity to interact with the laureates,” says Torsten Persson.

 

 

Press Release, 2 March 2017

Selection process completed: 420 young scientists will participate in the 67th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

420 young scientists from 78 countries have been selected to participate in the 67th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. They will meet with Nobel Laureates at Lake Constance 25–30 June 2017. This year’s meeting is dedicated to chemistry. Thus far, 29 Nobel laureates have confirmed their participation.

 

The young scientists are outstanding undergraduate students, graduate students and post-docs under the age of 35, conducting research in the field of chemistry. They have successfully passed a multi-stage international selection process. 155 scientific institutes, universities, foundations and research-oriented companies contributed to the nominations. The selected young scientists originate from big research nations like the US, the UK, Japan, Israel, and Germany, but also from developing countries such as Bangladesh, Myanmar and Benin.

 

The proportion of women among the selected young scientists is 45 percent. “For the field of chemistry, that is a substantial number”, says Wolfgang Lubitz, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Vice-President of the Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings and scientific co-chairperson of this year’s meeting.

 

“The quality of applicants was again extremely high”, says Burkhard Fricke, professor emeritus for theoretical physics and coordinator of the selection process. “Some of the young scientists who applied had very impressive CVs. It is highly unfortunate that we can only invite 400 of them.”

Due to the ongoing modernisation of the local conference venue, the meeting will once again take place in Lindau’s city theatre. Accordingly, the usual number of just under 600 participating young scientists had to be reduced to 400.

 

The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings take place every year since 1951 and are designed as a forum for exchange, networking and inspiration. In Lindau, excellent young researchers meet the most acclaimed scientists of their field.

 

Bernard Feringa and Jean-Pierre Sauvage, who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016, together with Sir Fraser Stoddart, for the design of molecular machines, will also participate in this year’s meeting. Besides molecular machines, the key topics of the 67th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting will include big data, climate change and the role of science in a “post-truth” era.

 

The selected young scientists may expect a six-day programme with numerous lectures and panel discussions. Some of them will also get the opportunity to discuss their own work at one of the master classes or at the poster session. “This is a unique opportunity for the young scientists to present their research in front of an international audience and receive invaluable feedback from Nobel Laureates”, says Wolfgang Lubitz. In addition to the scientific programme, the meeting offers many opportunities for the young scientists to socialise with the Nobel Laureates, and of course with each other, in a relaxed atmosphere.

 

 

Press Release, 13 February 2017

Booth and panel discussion – The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings at the AAAS 2017 Annual Meeting

The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings will participate in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2017 Annual Meeting, which takes place from 16 – 20 February in Boston, MA. Every year, excellent young scientists congregate with Nobel Laureates in Lindau, Germany, for a week of scientific exchange.

 

During this year’s AAAS Meeting, entitled “Serving Society through Science Policy”, the organisers of the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings will exhibit at booth No. 916 in the Hynes Convention Center. Here, young scientists can find out how to participate in the Lindau Meetings. Furthermore, representatives of universities and other science and research institutions may learn more about the global academic partner network, and journalists will find detailed information on covering the meeting.

The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings will co-exhibit with the Heidelberg Laureate Forum Foundation, which hosts an annual meeting of laureates of the Abel Prize, the ACM A.M. Turing Award, the ACM Prize in Computing, the Fields Medal and the Nevanlinna Prize. Both organisations share the common aim of bringing together the most acclaimed scientists in their disciplines with the most talented young academics from all over the world.

 

Panel Discussion: 18 February at 03:00 pm

On Saturday, the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings and the Heidelberg Laureate Forum Foundation (HLFF) will host a panel discussion entitled “Science Policy and Science Diplomacy: Intergenerational Dialogue” in room 208 of the Hynes Convention Center. The participants will include Nobel Laureate Eric Maskin, ACM A.M. Turing Award Winner John Hopcroft, ERC President Jean-Pierre Bourguignon as well as Lindau alumnus Gunes Parlakgul and HLF alumna Kristina Mallory.

 

In 2017, two Lindau Meetings will take place:

 

67th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

The 67th Lindau Meeting will focus on chemistry and will take place 25–30 June 2017. Thus far, 30 Nobel laureates as well as Ahmet Üzümcü, Director General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and Joseph Sifakis, recipient of the 2007 ACM A.M. Turing Award, have confirmed their participation. The meeting will also host about 400 young scientists from around 80 countries.

 

6th Lindau Meeting on Economic Sciences

The Lindau Meeting on Economic Sciences will take place 22–26 August 2017. For this meeting, 21 Nobel Laureates are expected to participate. In Lindau on Lake Constance, they will meet 400 young economists from all over the world.

 

 

 

 

Press Release, 1 July 2016

Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting draws to a close - Swiss entrepreneur Schmidheiny appointed Honorary Senator of the Foundation

The 66th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting drew to a close today with a panel discussion on the future of scientific education. The traditional boat trip across Lake Constance was again hosted by the German Federal State of Baden-Württemberg. Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg, President of the Council, took farewell of the delegates from 80 countries. 29 Nobel Laureates and some 400 selected young scientists had spent the week in Lindau discussing central topics from the field of physics. Jürgen Kluge, chairman of the board of the Foundation, thanked all of the supporters and donors who enable this knowledge exchange from year to year. Swiss entrepreneur Thomas Schmidheiny was appointed to the Honorary Senate of the Foundation Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings.

“Any student, PhD candidate or postdoc who successfully masters the application process can only participate once, but at Lindau they become part of a network of dedicated scientists. As alumni, the young scientists then act as ambassadors for the concept of dialogue embodied by the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings,” said Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg, president of the Council.

In view of the rapidly increasing demand for innovations in science and research, the final panel discussion addressed the issue of academic training of young scientists. How can we stimulate interest in more young people to study the STEM subjects science, technology, engineering and mathematics? Will new teaching methodologies contribute to a more contemporary and effective transfer of knowledge? How can we raise education standards in developing countries? These were among the questions discussed by the Nobel Laureates Brian P. Schmidt, Dan Shechtman and Carl E. Wieman, and Tamás Álmos Vámi, a young scientist from Hungary.

Many Nobel Laureates regularly take part in the Lindau Meetings to share their knowledge with outstanding scientists under the age of 35. Since their inception in 1951, the meetings have evolved into an international forum for dialogue between the generations. The Foundation Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings was founded in 2000 to secure their continued existence – to date, more than 300 Nobel Laureates constitute the Founders Assembly.

Swiss entrepreneur Thomas Schmidheiny was appointed to the Honorary Senate at the conclusion of this year’s meeting. Jürgen Kluge, chairman of the board of directors, paid tribute to his philanthropic engagement and thanked him on behalf of the board for his support of the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, extending back to the beginning of the Foundation’s history. Thomas Schmidheiny is a shareholder and supervisory board member of building materials manufacturer LafargeHolcim.

The boat trip on the MS Sonnenkönigin and the picnic on the meadows surrounding Mainau castle provided the delegates with a good opportunity for networking. Both events were hosted by Baden-Württemberg’s Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts. Minister Theresia Bauer, who had been a guest at the opening ceremony, was represented today by Ministry Director Simone Schwanitz.

“Baden-Württemberg is very pleased to have the Nobel Laureates as guests on Mainau Island. The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting reminds us how vital international exchange of ideas is for science, and demonstrates that we need more international cooperation to address the major issues facing humanity,” said Simone Schwanitz.

The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings have been hosted on the banks of Lake Constance every year since 1951. The meeting traditionally ends with an excursion to Mainau Island, the seat of the Bernadotte af Wisborg family. Count Lennart Bernadotte af Wisborg was a co-founder of the meetings and long-time president of the Council.

 

 

 

Press Release, 30 June 2016

Quantum technologies to revolutionise 21st centuryNobel Laureates discuss at Lindau Meeting

Is quantum technology the future of the 21st century? On the occasion of the 66th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, this is the key question to be explored today in a panel discussion with the Nobel Laureates Serge Haroche, Gerardus ’t Hooft, William Phillips and David Wineland. In the following interview, Council Member Professor Rainer Blatt, internationally renowned quantum physicist, recipient of numerous honours, and Scientific Co-Chairman of the 66th Lindau Meeting, talks about what we can expect from the “second quantum revolution”.

 

Blatt has no doubt: quantum technologies are driving forward a technological revolution, the future impact of which is still unclear. Nothing stands in the way of these technologies becoming the engine of innovations in science, economics and society in the 21st century. Early laboratory prototypes have shown just how vast the potential of quantum technologies is. Specific applications are expected in the fields of metrology, computing and simulations. However, substantial funding is required to advance from the development stage.

 

Professor Blatt, the first quantum revolution laid the physical foundations for trailblazing developments such as computer chips, lasers, magnetic resonance imaging and modern communications technology. In the Quantum Manifest published in mid-May, researchers now talk about the advent of a second quantum revolution. What exactly does this mean?

 

This second quantum revolution, as it is sometimes called, takes advantage of the phenomenon of entanglement. It’s a natural phenomenon that basic researchers recognized as early as the 1930s. Until now, all the technologies you mentioned derive their utility from the wave property upon which quantum physics is based. In the quantum world, its associated phenomena are often discussed in the context of wave-particle duality. Though they are not recognized as such, quantum technologies are therefore already available, and without them, many of our instruments would not be possible. By contrast, the nature of entanglement, which has been known for 85 years, has only been experimentally investigated in the past four decades based on findings by John Bell in the 1960s. Today, entanglement forms the basis for many new potential applications such as quantum communications, quantum metrology and quantum computing. The second quantum revolution is generally understood to be the realization of these new possibilities.

 

How long will it take for the second quantum revolution to produce marketable applications and products?

 

Marketable applications and products are already available in the field of quantum communications, meaning that such devices can already be purchased and commercially used. The use of entanglement for matter – not just for photons – will transform metrology by providing more sensitive and faster-responding sensors. Initially, it will produce small and later large quantum processors for a broad range of applications, for example simulations. Quantum processors will initially be used to solve a few (yet important) special problems, but in the more distant future also for universal calculations. There’s actually no discernible obstacle to realizing quantum technologies. Increasingly complex systems are being devised. This includes the development and use of new, previously unavailable technologies and methods. As quantum technologies become more widely available, ideas for their use and applications will rapidly follow.

 

What far-ranging changes to society and economics do you expect from the second quantum revolution?

 

At first, such technologies will lead to expanded and improved computing applications, which will continuously advance improvements in the sciences. It’s difficult to predict how far-reaching the impact on society and economics will be. Changes brought about by the development of the laser were similarly unpredictable. In the early 1960s, the laser was still seen as a solution to an unknown problem. Today, just over fifty years later, lasers have become an indispensable part of our lives. I expect quantum technologies to develop along similar lines.

 

Will the second quantum revolution only benefit highly developed countries or regions in the world that invest heavily in cutting-edge research?

 

Ultimately, everyone will benefit. But like all developments, only those countries and regions will really derive a benefit – including profit in the commercial sense – that play a role in the development and refinement of these technologies early on. We will need cutting-edge research for some decades to come, and this entails a degree of financial, institutional and above all personnel commitment in order to tap the potential of quantum technologies.

 

 

 

 

 

Press Release, 29 June 2016

Young physicists impress with their research – First poster session at Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

Thirty young scientists had a unique opportunity yesterday to present their research work to an audience of participants at the 66th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. It was the first time that a poster session was held at the meeting. One hundred eighty of the 400 young participants from 80 countries had applied to partake. The topics covered precision measurements, quantum physics, astronomy, biophysics, high-energy physics and materials science. All 29 participating Nobel Laureates as well as all undergraduates, PhD candidates and postdocs present were entitled to vote for the best presentation.

 

“The presentations are very lively and really good. I am especially impressed by the expertise of two young scientists – their posters are about topics I am very familiar with,” said French quantum physicist Serge Haroche. For research of the interactions between light and matter, Haroche was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics together with the American David Wineland. The attendees at the session were treated to eye-catching posters with illustrations and graphs. In addition, the poster presenters had 90 minutes to explain and discuss their work and to field questions. The public was able to cast ballots to select the three best poster presentations. The winners will be announced at the end of the event on Friday and will be presented with a certificate.

 

The aim of introducing this event format, which is common at many scientific conferences, is to highlight the achievements of the young scientists. “We found it difficult to select 30 participants from 180 applicants, because all the submitted posters were of high scientific quality. The excellence of the young researchers was evident,” said Council member Rainer Blatt of the Institute for Experimental Physics of Innsbruck University and the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Rainer Blatt is serving as Scientific Chairman of this year’s meeting together with the astroparticle physicist Lars Bergström, who is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and since 2004 Secretary of the Nobel Prize Committee for Physics.

 

The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting has been held every year at Lake Constance since 1951. The Lindau Meetings provide a platform for Nobel Laureates and young scientists to exchange knowledge, ideas and experience. Established elements of the programme include lectures, discussions, master classes and panel discussions. The meetings focus alternately on physiology and medicine, on physics or on chemistry – the three natural science Nobel Prize disciplines. An interdisciplinary meeting revolving around all three natural sciences is held every five years. In addition, the Lindau Meeting on Economic Sciences is held every three years.

 

 

Press Release, 28 June 2016

High expectations of CERN – Focus on particle physics at Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

 

The smallest building blocks of matter were the focus of a panel discussion held yesterday at the 66th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. In particular, laureates Steven Chu, David J. Gross, Takaaki Kajita  and Carlo Rubia together with three young scientists working at the European nuclear research centre CERN in Geneva spoke about recent experiments designed to detect hitherto unknown particles. The Director General of CERN, Fabiola Gianotti, was also present via live video stream. In view of numerous unexplained phenomena, it was generally agreed that a refinement of the standard model of elementary particle physics is needed. The standard model is the most successful theory to date that seeks to classify all the known elementary particles and their interactions.

The standard model incorporates the current state of knowledge about matter particles and force particles, including the Higgs boson, which was not experimentally detected until 2012. However, it fails to explain numerous phenomena; for example, the theory does not include gravitation. Moreover, knowledge is lacking about the composition of dark matter and dark energy, which make up a large part of the universe. Supersymmetric particles, which may provide an explanation, do not figure in the standard model. Also, the standard model is at odds with the finding that neutrinos have mass, as explained during the panel discussion in Lindau by Takaaki Kajita, who was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize for this observation.

ATLAS and CMS, the two large detectors of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) particle accelerator at CERN, presented data in December last year that might suggest the existence of another massive particle. Both experiments measured a small surplus of photon pairs – tandem light particles – with a combined mass of around 750 giga-electron volts in the debris of particle collisions. Now that the power of the LHC has been significantly boosted once again, researchers hope that new measurements will shed light on this phenomenon. They have already collected more data than during the whole of last year.

“We’re analysing these data very carefully at the moment, but we do not yet have any official findings to announce,” reported Fabiola Gianotti. There was some speculation as to whether news of the discovery of the suspected new elementary particle might be expected at the beginning of August, when the 38th International Conference on High Energy Physics (ICHEP) is held in Chicago. Four years ago, the discovery of the Higgs boson was presented at this same conference series.

Besides particle physics, quantum physics and cosmology are focal topics within the programme of the 66th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. It was inaugurated on Sunday and runs until Friday, 1 July. 29 Nobel Laureates and 400 undergraduates, PhD students and postdocs from approximately 80 countries take part.

The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings have been held every year at Lake Constance since 1951. The meetings focus alternately on physiology and medicine, physics or chemistry – the three natural science Nobel Prize disciplines. An interdisciplinary meeting encompassing all three natural sciences is held every five years. In addition, the Lindau Meeting on Economic Sciences is held every three years.

 

 

Press Release, 27 June 2016

Lighting the earth by LEDs - Hiroshi Amano opens the programme of the 66th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

The scientific programme of the 66th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting kicked off with a lecture by Japanese physicist Hiroshi Amano. In 1989, Hiroshi Amano succeeded, for the first time, in producing efficient blue light-emitting diodes – the basis for the production of white LED light. For his work he was awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics. 29 Nobel Laureates and some 400 young scientists from 80 countries are attending the meeting at Lake Constance, which will run until Friday. The main topics of the lectures and panel discussions are quantum technology, particle physics and cosmology.

Hiroshi Amano shared the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics with Isamu Akasaki and Shuji Nakamura for “for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes, which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources”, according to the official announcement by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Despite years of research, it had not previously been possible to produce white light with LEDs; it had only been possible to manufacture red and green diodes.

In his presentation, Hiroshi Amano vividly described the difficult path to the successful development of the necessary material systems and encouraged the young scientists present to pursue their own research goals with inquisitiveness, perseverance and creativity. He himself ran more than a thousand experiments before his efforts were crowned with success. Although LEDs had long been employed mainly as minuscule lamps for signal displays, their use in flat screens and smart phone displays and as energy-saving lighting has now become an indispensable part of modern technology. Even as a student, Hiroshi Amano, who is now 55, had envisioned developing a light source of the future.

Undergraduates, PhD students and postdocs under 35 form the young contingent of the meeting, all of whom had passed a multi-stage application and selection process. Many see the meeting as a unique opportunity to discuss current developments and future challenges in the field of physics with Nobel Laureates and to present their own research work in a master class or poster session.

The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings have been held every year in on Lake Constance since 1951. The meetings focus alternately on physiology and medicine, physics or chemistry – the three natural science Nobel Prize disciplines. An interdisciplinary meeting encompassing all three natural sciences is held every five years. In addition, the Lindau Meeting on Economic Sciences is held every three years.

 

 

Press Release, 26 June 2016

66th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting inaugurated

The 66th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting was inaugurated today in Lindau on the banks of Lake Constance, Germany. Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg, President of the Council, welcomed the guests who hail from some 80 different countries. 29 Nobel Laureates and more than 400 selected young scientists are taking part in the meeting, which runs until 1 July. This year it is dedicated to the field of physics. One of the key programme points is the question of whether quantum technology is the technology of the future in the 21st century. Particle physics is also a focal topic – prominent speakers on the subject include the Laureates Takaaki Kajita and Arthur B. McDonald, who were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics 2015 for the discovery of neutrino oscillations, which proves that neutrinos have mass.

“Innovation depends on knowledge transfer, inspiration and collaboration, which is why our mission is ‘Educate. Inspire. Connect.’”, said Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg, president of the Council. In her opening address, she emphasised that the Nobel Laureates are keen to encourage up-and-coming young scientists in their careers and help them to network with each other. Students, PhD candidates and postdocs from around the globe applied to take part in the internationally renowned meeting.

Austrian Federal President Heinz Fischer addressed the meeting participants – as this year’s host country, Austria is presenting itself as a research location. Singapore’s President Tony Tan Keng Yam was also among the guests as a member of the Honorary Senate of the Foundation Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings. Germany was represented by Federal Minister Johanna Wanka – the German Ministry of Education and Research being one of the meetings’s prime supporters.

In his speech, Wolfgang Schürer stressed the importance of intergenerational dialogue. The present generations would have to accept the future and ensure that in decisions of today the consequences for future generations are taken into account. Addressing the young scientists, Schürer said: “During the discussions, if you spot a vacant chair, don’t think it is empty. Imagine the chair is occupied by a member of a generation yet-to-come and think what he or she would like discussed.”

In his role as chairman of the board of directors of the Foundation, Wolfgang Schürer had been a key source of impetus for the evolution of the meetings and instrumental in ensuring their continued existence since the year 2000. His successor, Jürgen Kluge, who assumed the chairmanship at the start of this year, paid tribute to Schürer’s outstanding service on behalf of the board of directors: Schürer was appointed Honorary Chairman. And on behalf of the entire Council, Countess Bettina Bernadotte awarded him the golden Lennart Bernadotte Medal, named after her father Count Lennart Bernadotte af Wisborg, the first President of the Council, co-founder of the meetings and long-time spiritus rector.

In the days leading up to Friday, 1 July, the Nobel Laureates and young scientists will have ample opportunity for knowledge sharing on an intensive scale. Numerous lectures, discussions, master classes and panel discussions are on the agenda. To wrap up the meeting on Friday, delegates are invited on a boat trip hosted by the German Federal State of Baden-Württemberg over to the Mainau Island on Lake Constance. Here, a panel discussion on the future of scientific education will focus on crucial aspects of the support of young scientists.

The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings have been hosted on the banks of Lake Constance every year since 1951. Owing to the continuing renovation of the local conference hall, which is expected to be completed in 2017, this year’s meeting is taking place in Lindau’s city theatre. The number of participants has therefore been reduced from the usual 600 to 400.

 

 

Press Release, 3 March 2016

66th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting: 402 Young Scientists to Participate

402 young scientists from 80 countries will participate in the 66th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. They are outstanding students, graduate students and post-docs under 35 years of age, conducting research in the field of physics. The participants had successfully applied in a multi-stage international selection process, the results of which have now been announced. The meeting will take place from 26 June to 1 July and is designed as a forum for exchange, networking and inspiration. Technically it is dedicated to physics; a total of 30 laureates are expected to partake. The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings have been held annually at Lindau, Germany, since 1951.

 

“The Nobel Laureates will get to meet some especially qualified and committed young people this summer,” says Wolfgang Lubitz, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion and Vice-President of the Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings. “The proportion of women is 31 percent – a good, internationally representative number in the field of physics.”

 

Due to the ongoing modernisation of the local conference venue, this year’s meeting will take place in Lindau’s city theatre. Accordingly, the usual number of 600 participants had to be reduced to 400. The selected young scientists may expect a six-day programme with numerous lectures and panel discussions. Many see the chance to present their own research work at one of the master classes or at the poster session as a special opportunity.

 

“The attendance steadily became more international as part of the continuous expansion of the network of academic partner institutions,” explains Burkhard Fricke, professor emeritus for theoretical physics and coordinator of the selection process. “This year’s participants represent 80 countries, including great research nations like the US, the United Kingdom, Japan, Israel, and Germany, just as developing countries like Bangladesh or Cameroon. 144 academies of science, universities, foundations, and researching enterprises were involved in the selection process.”
When selecting participants from China, the Council cooperated with the Sino-German Center for Research Promotion (SGC). “In the People’s Republic alone, 24 universities and one academy institute were involved,” says Rainer Blatt, Managing and Research Director of the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information at Innsbruck (IQOQI), member of the Council and responsible of this year’s meeting’s scientific programme in the capacity of scientific chairman. “Following a preselection, we had to review 79 applications. In the next step, 40 applicants were invited for personal interviews to Beijing last weekend. Finally, we found 19 young scientists very convincing – we are very much looking forward to welcoming them in in Lindau this summer.”

 

Among the Nobel Laureates who have already confirmed their participation are Japan’s Takaaki Kajita and Arthur B. McDonald from the US. They were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2015 for the discovery of neutrino oscillations, which shows that neutrinos have mass. Particle Physics will be among the key issues of the Lindau Meeting.

 

 

Press Release, 9 February 2016

Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings exhibit at the AAAS 2016 Annual Meeting

For the first time, the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings will be among the exhibitors at the AAAS 2016 Annual Meeting that will take place from 11 to 15 February in Washington, D.C. In Lindau, Germany, Nobel Laureates convene annually with young scientists for a week of scientific exchange.

 

At booth No. 1829 at the exhibit hall, young scientists can receive information on how to participate in the Lindau Meetings. Representatives of universities and other science and research institutions may learn more on the global academic partner network. For potential supporters, there is detailed information on funding opportunities.

 

The Heidelberg Laureate Forum will also be part of the presentation at Washington. The reason why Nobel Laureates convene at Lindau every year and laureates of the Fields Medal, the ACM A.M. Turing Award, and the Abel Prize come together at Heidelberg annually is essentially the same: to meet the next generation of leading scientists from all over the world.

 

“Considering this year´s meeting theme ‘Global Science Engagement’ and the attendance of thousands of leading scientists, science communicators, and policymakers, the AAAS conference is the obvious location for presenting the Lindau Meetings. We bring this form of engagement to life in Lindau by providing a platform of intergenerational and intercultural dialogue and by creating lasting networks of collaboration beyond national boundaries,” says Countess Bettina Bernadotte, President of the Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings.

 

On the eve of the AAAS annual meeting, all attendees will get the opportunity to actually meet some of the laureates who regularly participate in Lindau resp. Heidelberg: the German Embassy in Washington, together with the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings and the Heidelberg Laureate Forum, organises an evening reception on

 

Wednesday, 10 February 2016
5.30-8.00 p.m.
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
4645 Reservoir Road NW
Washington, D.C. 20007.

 

Among the laureates being present will be Günter Blobel (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1999), William Phillips (Nobel Prize in Physics 1997) and Vinton Cerf (ACM A.M. Turing Award 2004). In addition, several young scientist alumni of the Lindau Meetings will also be in attendance. The evening reception bears the opportunity to discuss about fascinating science and international cooperation. Also on the occasion, the German Embassy presents the exhibition ‘NOBELS and Masters of Abstraction,’ portraits of laureates by German photographer Peter Badge.

 

The 66th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

For this year´s Lindau Meeting, taking place from 26 June to 1 July, 32 laureates have already confirmed their participation. Among them will be the 2015 Nobel Laureates in Physics Takaaki Kajita and Arthur McDonald. The meeting is dedicated to physics, its programme will address the latest breakthroughs in particle physics, quantum technology, and cosmology. Approximately 400 young scientists from more than 80 countries (including a large US delegation) may expect an invitation – the selection process will be completed at the beginning of March 2016. The Lindau Meetings have been held every year since 1951 in Lindau on Lake Constance.

 

 

Press Release, 7 December 2015

72 Nobel Laureates Appeal for Climate Protection

72 recipients of the Nobel Prize urgently warn of the consequences of climate change. They support a declaration that was handed over to the President of the Republic of France, François Hollande, at the Élysée Palace in Paris today by the French Nobel Laureates in Physics Serge Haroche and Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, together with Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Germany. The “Mainau Declaration 2015 on Climate Change” states “that the nations of the world must take the opportunity at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris to take decisive action to limit future global emissions.” The declaration was first presented on the occasion of the 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting on Mainau Island in Lake Constance, Germany, on Friday, 3 July 2015. Back then it was signed by 36 Nobel Laureates. Since, 36 additional laureates joined the group of supporters.

 

“If left unchecked, our ever-increasing demand for food, water, and energy will eventually overwhelm the Earth’s ability to satisfy humanity’s needs, and will lead to wholesale human tragedy,” the declaration reads. It states that although more data needs to be analysed and further research has to be done, the Fifth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) still represents the most reliable scientific assessment on man-made climate change, and that it should therefore be used as a foundation upon which policymakers should discuss actions to oppose this global threat.

 

The initiators emphasised that they were not experts in climate research but rather a diverse group of scientists who had a deep respect for and understanding of the integrity of the scientific process. The signatories of the declaration have all been awarded Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine, Physics, or Chemistry, except Indian children’s rights activist Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate of 2014.

 

“Some of the brightest minds of our planet, the Nobel Laureates, are highlighting what they deem to be one of the greatest challenges of our times: climate change,” says Schellnhuber. He initiated a symposia series carrying the titel “A Noble Cause” a few years ago to direct Nobel Laureates’ attention to global sustainability issues. Two of the participants of the most recent symposium in Hong Kong this April brought the idea of a Nobel Laureates’ climate statement to the longer-running and broader Lindau Meeting and have been gathering support for it amongst fellow Nobel Laureates since then.

 

The term Mainau Declaration has become the designation for socio-political appeals by Nobel Laureates who participated in the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, the annual gathering with young scientists at the German town of Lindau. The name denotes that these declarations were presented on nearby Mainau Island in Lake Constance, Germany, the traditional venue of the last day of the one-week meeting.

 

The first Mainau Declaration was an appeal against the use of nuclear weapons. Initiated and drafted by the Nobel Prize-winning German nuclear scientists Otto Hahn and Max Born, it was circulated at the 5th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting (11-15 July 1955) and presented on Mainau Island on 15 July 1955. The declaration was initially signed by 18 Nobel Laureates. Within a year, the number of supporters rose to 52 Nobel Laureates.

 

The annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting fosters the exchange among scientists of different generations, cultures, and disciplines. Every year, Nobel Laureates convene at Lindau to meet the next generation of leading scientists: 400 to 650 undergraduates, PhD students, and post-doc researchers from approximately 90 countries. The meeting focusses alternately on physiology and medicine, on physics, and on chemistry – the three scientific Nobel Prize disciplines. An interdisciplinary meeting revolving around all three natural sciences is held every five years. In addition, the Lindau Meetings on Economic Sciences are held every three years. The Lindau Meetings were founded in 1951 by Count Lennart Bernadotte af Wisborg, member of the Swedish Royal Family, and the Lindau city councillors Franz Karl Hein and Gustav Wilhelm Parade.

Mainau Declaration 2015 on Climate Change – Official website

 

 

Press Release, 1 July 2015

Africa’s perspectives – Young researchers call for more international research partnerships

When Africa is mentioned, one would think of disasters, crises, wars, diseases – basically of a troubled continent. But this year’s Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting proves that this is at least an incomplete picture. 35 of the total 650 participating young scientists stem from Africa – more than at any previous meeting. They come from 14 of the 54 African countries. When talking to these young scientists, one thing becomes evident: There is much to discover, many prejudices to be revised.

 

In the past decade, the number of scientific publications from African scientists tripled. According to the renowned scientific journal Nature, the scientists from Africa published approximately as much as the researchers in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, about 1.5 per cent of all scientific publications come from Africa, a continent that is larger than the USA, China, India, Japan and Europe combined. And that is as varied as the countries mentioned. Both, the Young Scientists from Africa, as well as, for example, the French Nobel Prize winner Françoise Barré-Sinoussi acknowledge this: “You cannot simply define a research focus for the whole of Africa,” says the scientist who conducts research in collaboration with colleagues from numerous African countries. There would not be the one right program for Africa. Even the AESA program (Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa), which was launched recently and supported by the Wellcome Trust (London, UK), the UK Department for International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Seattle, Washington, USA) with 4,5 million $  should be aligned regionally. “I would create special programs for South, West, North and East Africa,” says Serge Alain Fobofou Tanemossu, a young chemist from Cameroon, as there are similar scientific challenges in all of these regions.

 

The AESA programme aims at improving the working conditions of scientists in Africa, putting the decision on research into local hands and curbing the brain drain. “First of all, we need reliable power supply, so that we do not always have to fear for our laboratory samples,” Melinda Barkhuizen, a neuroscientist from South Africa, says with a giggle. “And then there is a need for more competitive research infrastructure such as high-tech laboratories.” Africa has a lot of talented young scientists, “but there is a lack of opportunities for scientific research that is adequately funded and operational on an international level,” says Prosper Ngabonziza. He originates from Rwanda, where he acquired his Bachelor’s degree before moving to South Africa for his Master’s degree and then to the Netherlands for his doctorate in experimental physics.

 

The research landscape in Africa is primarily focused on health research and agriculture. Yet, it is the basic research African science needs to lay the foundation for further scientific progress in the various disciplines leading to innovations “Made in Africa”, the young scientists say. This is another reason for fair partnerships between African and European or American research institutions being absolutely necessary. Cooperation on par, as pursued by US Nobel Laureate Peter Agre who does research on malaria in different African countries such as Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Congo and Mozambique, should be normal.

 

In Lindau, 35 young scientists from Africa make new contacts until Friday. Nine of them are from South Africa, four each from Egypt and Cameroon, three each from Ghana and Mauritius, two each from Botswana, Nigeria and Zimbabwe, and one each from Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Sudan and Uganda. The participation of six of these young scientists is financed by the academic partners of the Lindau Meeting, like the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Department of Science and Technology of South Africa, and the World Academy of Science, as well as Nobel Laureate Peter Agre. 29 young scientists were invited due to a new initiative of the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings. This is funded by the Robert Bosch Foundation and is under the patronage of the former Federal President Horst Köhler. The “Horst Köhler Fellowship Programme” is to be significantly expanded in the coming years, supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Through this, the prophecy that German Nobel Laureate Hartmut Michel expressed during the conference might become a reality: that in 2025, the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting will welcome an African scientist who has been awarded the Nobel Prize for his scientific achievements in Africa.

 

 

Press Release, 30 June 2015

Nobel Laureate Meeting builds bridges between disciplines - focus on interdisciplinarity

When Nobel laureates give an insight into their laboratories, one thing becomes obvious: They are working in multidisciplinary and multicultural research teams. Is interdisciplinarity thus a formula for gaining the Nobel Prize? This was denied by all five Nobel laureates who took part in yesterday’s panel discussion entitled “The Quest for Interdisciplinarity” at the 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. Eric Betzig, Martin Chalfie, Steven Chu, Stefan Hell and William Moerner shared the experience that interdisciplinarity in the natural sciences was not a goal in itself, but a naturally developing concept determined by the specific field of research. As many scientific questions of the present and future are too complex to be associated with a single scientific discipline, research will increasingly be based on interdisciplinary collaboration.

 

The discussions at Lindau clearly reveal the trend that young researchers leave the ivory towers of their disciplines to team up with colleagues from other disciplines and cultures in order to find answers to the pressing questions of the future. “We need breakthroughs in medicine, energy generation, social aspects and climate change prevention, to only name a few fields. Most of these are closely coupled and need to be addressed in an interdisciplinary approach”, the participating German marine biologist Christian Pansch (33) said. An important precondition for interdisciplinary research was that a free flow of communication was facilitated, just as unobstructed and lively like in cafeterias, as Nobel laureate Martin Chalfie put it. And Eric Betzig added that the basis for exchange with colleagues of other disciplines was a substantial understanding of one’s own discipline. “You have to be an expert in your own discipline,” William Moerner voiced it. He himself actually holds an academic degree in a total of three disciplines.

 

Stefan Hell even perceives the chance that by interdisciplinary collaboration researchers would become aware of outdated dogmas in their own disciplines – and finally overcome them. “Those who remain trapped in paradigms will not succeed in changing things.” Steven Chu told the audience that not only the complexity of issues but also the excellence of his students had driven him to explore new fields. “This is how you can escape the competition and expand your knowledge”.

 

Until Friday, the 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting offers the participants plenty of opportunities to further discuss how to successfully shape interdisciplinary research. The meeting is currently the largest think for interdisciplinarity in the natural sciences. 65 Nobel laureates and more than 650 young scientists from 88 countries have come to Lindau to think about interdisciplinary approaches to tackle key issues of the future of mankind and our planet, like feeding the world, education for everyone, or preventing climate change. They not only overcome the mental barriers of their scientific disciplines, but also the the boundaries of generations and cultures. Isaac Newton once complained, “People build too many walls and not enough bridges”. The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting obviously builds bridges that last.

 

 

Press Release, 29 June 2015

Making the world a better place – programme start at 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

The scientific programme of the 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting started this Monday with a lecture on light microscopy by German Nobel laureate Stefan W. Hell. Until Friday, 65 laureates and more than 650 young researchers from 88 countries will discuss about the future of science. The future of light microscopy has been secured by Professor Hell. Due to his discovery, light microscopy is back as one of the top techniques to discover hidden worlds. The development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy makes it possible “to map the innermost secrets of life”, as the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences puts it in the reasoning for the 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. In his lecture, Stefan Hell vividly described the path to success in opening these new dimensions – undoubtedly an encouraging account for young scientists and an advice to give unconventional methods a trial and to follow their curiosity.

 

For young scientists, pursuing their research careers is about more than gaining knowledge. Science should contribute to solving urgent problems of mankind, so is their creed according to a survey that was carried out in advance among the participants – 70 took part. “We are trying to make the world a better place,” neuroscientist Melina Barkhuizen (24) of South Africa wrote. Scientists should definitely have a say in political and social debates, emphasised for example the chemist Giovanni Maria Piccini (29) from Italy.

 

In particular, climate change is seen as the major challenge of the future. “If I had unlimited funds, I would tackle key issues like green energy production, water security and technologies for cleaning of water on the large scale,” the Australian chemist Tristan Clemons (27) said. Like him, many other young researchers state that they would like to see new techniques applied to repel the effects of climate change. “It is the responsibility of scientists to find solutions for issues such as environment-friendly energy and food supply for the world population,” stresses Cameroon-born chemist Alain Fobofou Tanemossu (28).

 

The young people also point out that none of the tools at hand is of any use, as long as our societies do not apply them to facilitate a sustainable and fair life for all people on the planet, for instance by supplying clean water and enough food. US physicist Noel Baker (29) takes a clear position here: The industrialised nations had the responsibility to reduce carbon emissions and prevent further climate change. Her colleague, the US biologist Laurel Yohe (26) writes: ” The gravest problem of mankind at this time is the destruction of our beautiful planet. (…)The industrial world tends to want things NOW. But we seriously need to learn to think ahead.” For if we do not take lasting, long-term and concerted measures, the Indian physicist Anupam Sengupta says, “it might be too late to revert the balances of nature back to its steady sustainable state.”

 

The debate on the role of science in society and the responsibility of science for society, which Federal President Joachim Gauck had called for insistently in his speech at the opening ceremony on Sunday, will be continued in the coming days in the discussions at Lindau.

 

 

Press Release, 28 June 2015

Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting Opened

The 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting was officially opened at Lindau, Germany today. German Federal President Joachim Gauck gave a speech and welcomed the guests from almost 90 countries. 65 Nobel Laureates and more than 650 selected young scientists take part in the long-standing meeting until Friday. This year’s meeting is dedicated to all three scientific Nobel Prize disciplines: medicine, physics and chemistry. In the light of the increasingly interdisciplinary science sector, the programme addresses among other issues the question whether future breakthroughs in key areas can be expected from the interplay of different research branches.

 

Following Roman Herzog, Johannes Rau, Horst Köhler and Christian Wulff, Joachim Gauck is the fifth German Federal President to attend the annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. Former Federal President Horst Köhler was also among the other guests of honour, just like Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, and other high-level representatives from Germany and abroad. The German Federal Government was represented by Johanna Wanka, Federal Minister of Education and Research, and Gerd Müller, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development. The Free State of Bavaria was represented by State Minister Beate Merk.

 

“To inspire and motivate young scientists and researchers is the key concern of this meeting,” said Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg, President of the Council. In her opening speech, she stressed that the dedicated and inquisitive young people were the main reason for the Nobel laureates to be this specially committed to the Lindau Meetings. Since the dialogue between cultures is just as central to the meeting, Countess Bernadotte was particularly pleased about the international participants. Hundreds of students, PhD candidates and post-doc researchers around the world had applied for participation in the meeting.

 

Bertrand Gros, Chairman of Rolex SA, and Ulrich Wilhelm, Director-General of the Bavarian broadcasting corporation Bayerischer Rundfunk were inducted into the Honorary Senate of the Foundation Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings. Both join the select circle of personalities like Angela Merkel, José Manuel Barroso, and Bill Gates, who are especially dedicated to the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings.

 

Wolfgang Schürer, Chairman of the Foundation, lauded their outstanding achievements. Acting as chairman of a company owned by a foundation, Bertrand Gros’ compass in both business and philanthropy was excellence. Young talents on all continents would benefit from the company’s mentoring projects in the fields of education, art and environmental protection. Ulrich Wilhelm would address the need for science literacy, which constituted a precondition for citizens’ autonomy, especially in the digital age. His credo that freedom and responsibility were intrinsically connected, would extend beyond the field of journalism.

 

The opening ceremony ended with a presentation about the urban future of mankind by the popular Swedish economic thought leader Kjell A. Nordström. The economics professor, consultant and author of international bestseller management books is considered an influential initiator in the field of globalisation research.

 

Until Thursday, 2 July, the participating laureates and young scientists will have ample opportunity for an intensive exchange with each other. Numerous lectures, discussion sessions, master classes and panel discussions are on the agenda. The meeting will end on Friday, 3 July, with a boat trip on Lake Constance to Mainau Island at the invitation of the State of Baden-Württemberg. There, a panel discussion on the contribution of education and science for peace, featuring Nobel Peace LaureateKailash Satyarthi, marks the closure.

 

 

Press Release, 26 June 2015

Changes in the foundation's board of directors

Jürgen Kluge and Reinhard Pöllath new members of the Foundation Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings

 

Wolfgang Schürer retires at the end of 2015 from the board of directors – a formal farewell during the 2016 Lindau Meeting

 

The Foundation Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings has two new board members; namely Prof. Dr. Jürgen Kluge and Prof. Dr. Reinhard Pöllath who were voted on to the board as of 1 January 2016. The new chairman of the Foundation Board shall be elected from the members of the incumbent board in January 2016. Both elected board members will participate in the 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, 28 June to 3 July.

 

Professor Dr. Jürgen Kluge, former head of the German and Austrian offices of the international management consultancy McKinsey & Company and former CEO of the Duisburg Haniel Group, has been nominated as the new president. Professor Kluge studied physics at the University of Cologne and earned his doctorate degree at the University Duisburg-Essen. Today, among other positions, he is a senior advisor of the Bank of America Merrill Lynch and chairman of the supervisory board at Schmitz Cargobull AG. Since 2004 he has been an honorary professor at the TU Darmstadt. Jürgen Kluge has been committed to the sciences in many ways. Together with Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mlynek he developed the idea of the “Little Scientists’ House”. The largest federal educational initiative for the early childhood stage stems from this idea with more than 23,000 participating Kindergardens in all of Germany today. For years he has been a regular visitor to the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings and through his scientific education as well as his management positions he is involved at the intersecting point between science and the economy.

 

Professor Dr. Reinhand Pöllath is a founding partner in the law firm P + P Pöllath and Partners as well as chairman of the board at Beiersdorf AG and the maxingvest AG (the former Tchibo Holding AG) in Hamburg. He studied law in Regensburg, Munich and at Harvard and was a fellow of the German National Academic Foundation. In 1977 he received his license to practice law. In addition he is the spokesman of the board of the Max Planck Foundation, which he initiated together with the publisher Stefan von Holtzbrinck in 2006. Professor Pöllath has also attended the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings over the years. Through his occupation as a lawyer for family-owned enterprises as well as his honorary commitment, to among others, the Max Planck Society, he brings along valuable experience for the work on the board as well as the further development of the operation.

 

Professor Dr. Wolfgang Schürer, St. Gallen, Switzerland, chairman of the foundation board since the founding of the Foundation Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings in the summer of 2000, is retiring as of year’s end from the foundation board as previously announced. Professor Schürer has significantly shaped the development of the Lindau Meetings, especially with regard to their international orientation. Numerous strategic developments and innovations can be contributed to him. Thanks to his commitment, the foundation has a solid base to work with and to look forward into the future. Wolfgang Schürer’s official farewell and honoring of his outstanding achievements for the Lindau Meetings founded in 1951 by Count Lennart Bernadotte together with the Lindau doctors, Hein and Parade, is planned after completion of his term and during the 2016 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting.

 

The Foundation Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings is supported by numerous Maecenates and Benefactors. 293 Nobel Laureates are members of the Founders’ Assembly.

 

As of January 1st 2016, there are the following members of the Foundation Board:

Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg, Mainau Island

(Member of the Foundation Board since 2008)

Thomas Ellerbeck, Berlin

(Member of the Foundation Board since its founding in 2000)

Prof. Dr. Jürgen Kluge, Düsseldorf

(Member of the Foundation Board as of 1 January 2016)

Prof. Dr. Reinhard Pöllath, Munich

(Member of the Foundation Board as of 1 January 2016)

Nikolaus Turner, Munich

(Managing Member of the Foundation Board since its founding in 2000)

 

 

 

Press Release, 16 June 2015

Strong commitment to young African scientists –  Horst Köhler is patron of the new fellowship programme

Thanks to continuous efforts to attract more international participants, the 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting will see far more young African scientists attending than ever before. More than 650 outstanding students and post docs are expected at Lake Constance from 28 June, 35 from the African continent. Former German Federal President Horst Köhler is the patron of the newly created Africa programme for the Lindau Meetings: the “Horst Köhler Fellowship Programme” enables excellent African scientists to participate. The programme is funded by the Robert Bosch Foundation and will be substantially expanded in the coming years with the support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

 

“Africa is so much more than the stereotypes that many of us still have in our heads. It is a dynamic, creative and diverse continent with an enormous and rapidly growing young population that is hungry for change. This is why I am grateful and excited that the Lindau Meetings have invited young fellows from Africa; some of the brightest minds from the continent. I am sure that not only will they learn a lot from the Nobel Laureates but also that we all will gain from their creativity and persistence,” said Horst Köhler. He had spoken up for the interests of Africa during his term of office as Federal President and set a number of key impulses in motion.

 

Horst Köhler will attend the opening ceremony of the Lindau Meeting on 28 June. He will then meet the Horst Köhler Fellows at a breakfast the following Monday, 29 June. Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, the French Nobel Laureate in Medicine and discoverer of the HI virus, will also be in attendance. She is strongly involved in efforts to improve research conditions in Africa.
Of the 35 African students to have made it through the several stages of the selection process, nine come from South Africa, four are from Egypt and Cameroon respectively, three from Ghana and three from Mauritius, and two from Botswana, Nigeria and Zimbabwe respectively, along with one each from Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Rwanda, Sudan and Uganda.

 

The Lindau Meetings’ existing network of academic partners was also involved in nominating the young African scientists. As in previous years, nominations were received from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Department of Science and Technology South Africa and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). Nobel Laureate Peter Agre, long a champion of malaria research, also proposed one African scientist for participation.

 

There will be 65 laureates taking part in the 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. The interdisciplinary meeting will take place between 28 June and 3 July and serves as a forum for exchange, networking and inspiration. The Lindau Meetings have been held every year since 1951 in Lindau on Lake Constance.

 

 

News, 8 June 2015

Three Press Talks offered at #LiNo15

At the 65th Lindau Meeting, accredited journalists are invited to the three press talks held one each from Monday 29 June to Wednesday 1 July. These special sessions are not part of the official meeting programme; they are open to journalists only without prior registration. The panellists invited will each give a brief comment on the topic of the session, then take questions from the audience and engage in discussions.

 

 

Human genetic alteration: does the pause have a purpose?

 

Monday, 29 June, 13.30-14.30 hrs., Forum am See

 

Novel DNA-editing techniques, most prominently the CRISPR/Cas 9 system, offer new and more precise routes to genetic modification, including changing human DNA. There has been a call for a moratorium on use of the techniques in human embryos – and the US National Institutes of Health have blocked funding for such studies. Is the moratorium needed? Can it work? And how should we decide which research in this area is permissible, which best left alone?   Panellists: Nobel laureates Elizabeth Blackburn, J. Michael Bishop, and Richard Roberts, young scientist Simon Elsässer (Karolinska Institutet, SE).

 

 

African science: today and tomorrow

 

Tuesday, 30 June, 13.30-14.30 hrs., Inselhalle, room Bayern

 

How will Africa take its place in a global knowledge economy? Scientific development is crucial for this vast continent. Young scientists from diverse African countries are attending Lindau. Some of them will join senior researchers with experience on the ground to give us a view of scientific prospects there. What are Africa’s scientific strengths and weaknesses? How can research in African countries be enhanced, and exploited for local benefit? What role may pan-African initiatives like the recent launch of the Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA) have?   Panellists: Nobel laureates Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Peter Agre, young scientists Melinda Barkhuizen (North-West University, ZA), Prosper Ngabonziza (University of Twente, NL), and Serge Fobofou (Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, DE)

 

 

Life sciences in the next 50 years: the big questions

 

Wednesday, 1 July, 13.30-14.30 hrs., Inselhalle, room Bayern

 

Our Laureates have had sparkling scientific careers. But suppose they were starting over? What question do they cherish, which they think could be answered in fifty years? How could it be tackled? And, while the details are unknowable, what is their personal best guess about the answer? Join us for an hour of informed speculation about the future of science, raising questions our young delegates may decide to tackle!   Panellists: Nobel laureates Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Jack Szostak, and Arieh Warshel, young scientist John Schell (University of Utah, USA)

 

 

News, 7 June 2015

German Federal President to attend 65th Lindau Meeting

Federal President Joachim Gauck will attend the opening ceremony of the 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting on 28 June 2015. Following Roman Herzog, Johannes Rau, Horst Köhler, and Christian Wulff, Joachim Gauck is the fifth German Federal President to visit the annual gathering of leading scientists from different generations and cultures. The president will deliver a speech at the ceremony.

 

 

Press Release, 24 March 2015

Women scientists gaining ground: High proportion of female participants at the 65th Lindau Meeting

An exceptionally high number of young female scientists will be taking part in the 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting with the proportion of women amongst the 672 young scientists standing at 42%. According to data from UNESCO, only 30% of all researchers worldwide are female. The percentage of women amongst the Nobel Laureates is significantly lower still – 814 men, but just 46 women have received the award since 1901. This ratio is also reflected at the Lindau Meeting. A record number of almost 70 laureates are attending but just three are female. This year’s Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting is interdisciplinary and will take place from 28 June to 3 July in Lindau on Lake Constance. The list of participants has now been announced.

 

“The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings are future-oriented. This is indicated not least by the large number of young female scientists taking part. Their presence also sends out a strong message to their home countries to attract and retain more talented women in science,” remarks Helga Nowotny, co-founder and President of the European Research Council (ERC) from 2010 to 2013 and Vice-President of the Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings.

 

Burkhard Fricke, also a member of the Council, emphasises that no female quota was used in the selection of the young scientists: “The young participants were evaluated purely on the basis of specialist criteria. The quality of the applications has once again risen significantly which made selecting the best of the many candidates extremely challenging.” Students, doctoral students and postdocs from a total of 88 countries were accepted. They are conducting research in the Nobel Prize disciplines of medicine, physics or chemistry.

 

The three female Nobel Laureates who will be coming to Lindau this year are the Frenchwoman Françoise Barré-Sinoussi (Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2008), the Australian Elizabeth Blackburn (Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2009) and Ada Yonath from Israel who became only the fourth woman in the history of the Nobel Prize to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009.

 

During a panel on “Women in Science” at the 2014 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, Elizabeth Blackburn remarked that there was now a pleasingly high proportion of women amongst science students but this was not replicated in lecturing and cutting-edge research. She called upon academic institutions to redouble their efforts to increase opportunities for women in these Areas.

 

 

Press Release, 4 March 2015

70 Nobel laureates and 672 young scientists expected at Lindau

70 laureates and 672 young scientists from 88 countries will participate in the 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. The young participants, all of whom are excellent students, PhD candidates, and post-docs aged up to 35, have their research focus in the fields of medicine, physics, or chemistry. They had successfully passed a multi-step international selection process, the results of which have now been published. Conceived as an interdisciplinary forum, the meeting will be held from 28 June to 3 July. Its cause is to foster exchange and networking, and to provide inspiration. The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings have taken place in the Southern German town of Lindau at Lake Constance annually ever since 1951.

 

Among the 70 participating laureates are three of last year’s award-winning researchers: Germany’s Stefan Hell as well as the US-Americans Eric Betzig and William E. Moerner. They shared the 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Many of the other laureates are regular guests at Lindau and have participated in the meetings many times. For instance, it will be the 27th meeting already for Swiss microbiologist and geneticist Werner Arber, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine of 1978.

 

As is the case every five years, the 65th meeting of its kind will bring together scientist of all three natural sciences that are Nobel Prize disciplines. “The scientific landscape of the future will be significantly more interdisciplinarily organised than today because this is the only way we can succeed in dealing with the pending big challenges of mankind. With our interdisciplinary meetings we want to make a contribution to educating the next generation of leading researchers working at the interface of the classical scientific disciplines“, says Wolfgang Lubitz, director of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion and Vice-President of the Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings.

 

A six-day programme abundant with lectures and panel discussions is in store for the 672 selected young participants. Many consider presenting in one of the master classes a special opportunity. Exchange, networking, and inspiration have been at the core of the Lindau Meetings ever since their establishment in 1951.

 

The attendance steadily became more international as part of the continuous expansion of the network of academic partner institutions. This year’s participants represent 88 countries, including great research nations like the US, the United Kingdom, Japan, Israel, and Germany just as developing countries like Bangladesh or Zimbabwe. About 200 academies of science, universities, foundations, and researching enterprises of more than 50 countries played an active part in the course of the selection process for young scientists.

 

“Compared to previous years the quality of the applications has once more increased significantly,” says Burkhard Fricke, professor emeritus for theoretical physics, member of the Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings and coordinator of the selection process. “Never before have we seen such an interdisciplinary attendance representing such a broad range of fields like in 2015. A PhD candidate who applies physical-technical methods and uses chemical means to tackle medical questions is not at all an isolated case“.

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