Students to get chance to talk to Nobel

laureates

Posted at: Aug 29, 2019, 7:51 AM; last updated: Aug 29, 2019, 7:51 AM (IST)

Tribune News Service

For the first time in Punjab, government school teachers and students will have an

opportunity to interact with Nobel laureates during Nobel Prize Series Event that will be

organised in Punjab from September 11 to 12 at National Agri-food Biotechnology Institute

(NABI), Mohali, and Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), Ludhiana, respectively.

At least 250 government school students from each district, research scholars from

universities and colleges will also attend the month-long exhibition ‘For the greatest benefit

to humankind’ from September 11.

The attending Nobel laureates are Serge Haroche, Nobel Prize in Physics 2012, and Kailash

Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Prize 2014. They will be joined by Juleen Zierath, member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Nobel Assembly.

Nearly 100 government school teachers from Punjab will be a part of the ‘Teacher Summit’

event during which the Nobel laureates will throw light on how to keep on improving

education to make every student reaches their top potential.

After that, the ‘The Dialogue’ event would also be held for the interaction of Nobel laureates

with research scholars and students from Punjab.

The month-long exhibition will highlight how Nobel laureates have made the world a better

place – depicting discoveries and achievements that saved lives, fed humanity connected

people and protected the planet. It would also showcase how science, literature, and peace

efforts are capable of improving and changing the world.

Set Your Brain Waves Aglow With Nobel Laureates;

Mark Your Diaries Sept 11-12

Curiosity-driven students, research scholars, teachers and innovators from the Northern

states, here comes once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity to set your scientific tube lights aglow and

strengthen your resolve to find practical solutions to present and future problems and issues

facing society. For the first time ever the Nobel Prize Series-India is coming to Mohali

(September 11) and Ludhiana (September 12) with panel discussions, key note speeches

and Q&A sessions in the company of Nobel Laureates and other eminent scientists and

educators. A third leg of the series will also be held in New Delhi on September 13.

The 3rd edition of the series in India will also feature the world premiere of a new month-long

travelling exhibition “For The Greatest Benefit To Humankind” from Nobel Prize Museum,

which will demonstrate contributions of Nobel Laureates. While the September 11 and 12

programmes are by invitation only, the exhibition will be thrown open to the general public

from September 12.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Among the panellists confirmed for the Nobel Prize Series-India 2019 is Serge Haroche, a

Professor Emeritus at College de France, who won the Nobel Physics Prize 2012. His main

research activities have been in quantum optics and quantum information science. The other

Nobel Laureate to confirm his participation is our very own Kailash Satyarthi, who was

presented the Nobel Peace Prize 2014, recognising his tireless global advocacy of children‟s

rights for four decades.

Serge Haroche

Another panellist is Juleen Zierath, professor of clinical integrative physiology and a member

of the Nobel Committee at Karolinsla Institutet.

Nobel Prize website https://www.nobelprize.org also lists Laura Sprechmann, CEO of

Nobel Media, as a panellist.

Kailash Satyarthi

Briefing a news conference on Wednesday, Dr TR Sharma, Executive Director of NABI

(National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute), Mohali and Dr Jatinder Kaur Arora, Executive

Director PSCST (Punjab State Council for Science & Technology), said invitations had been

sent out to educational institutions in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh,

Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir. However, a limited number of approximately 500-600

students and research scholars, in addition to 600 to 700 teachers and early career faculties,

are expected to be able to participate in the Noble Prize Series-India 2019 in Mohali and

Ludhiana.

Juleen Zierath

They said a few lakh students, research scholars, teachers and members of the general public

with a scientific bent of mind are expected to visit and benefit from the month long exhibition

to be thrown open at NABI, Mohali from September 12 onwards. Experts will be at hand to

explain to the visitors the various exhibits. Entry is free. The exhibition from Nobel Prize

Museum will highlight how science has made the world a better place, and showcase

discoveries and achievements that have saved lives, fed humanity, connected people and

protected plants, they added.

Dr Sharma and Dr Arora informed that special care is being taken to ensure that the

communication between the experts and the participants and visitors is in the local language,

and hence effective.

Laura Sprechmann

The Series 2019 will be jointly inaugurated by the Union Minister for Science and

Technology, Earth Sciences and Health and Family Welfare and the Chief Minister of Punjab

at NABI Mohali on September 11.

The Nobel Prize Series has been brought to India under a MoU signed between the

Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of the Ministry of Science & Technology, GOI, and

Nobel Media AB, Sweden to run the series over five years. It‟s an initiative which brings

together Nobel Laureates and eminent scientists to stimulate innovation and creative thinking

amongst young students of science. The 1st edition of the series in India was held in

Gandhinagar, Gujarat in 2017, followed by the 2nd edition in Panjim, Goa in 2018.

The 3rd edition of the series, with the theme “Teaching & Learning”, is being organised in

partnership with Punjab Government at NABI Mohali and Punjab Agriculture University

(PAU) Ludhiana.

Series Philosophy

Education is the key to the future of humanity. By making education accessible to everyone,

we can make sure that no human potential goes waste. Though education we ensure that

today‟s students are ready to deal with the problems of tomorrow.

Many Nobel Laureates talk about how teachers have introduced them to the world of science,

literature and peace, and how mentors have played a role in their success. The Nobel Prize

shows how humanity can change the world for the better – and it starts with education.

Investing in education is investing in the future.

The Events

Sept 11, NABI Mohali

Teacher Summit (by invitation only)

The Nobel Prize shows that ideas can change the world. It demonstrates how courage,

creativity and perseverance of the Nobel Laureates can affect our future and offer us a sense

of hope. The Nobel Prize‟s unique combination of fields – science, literature and peace – is a

great inspiration to both engagement and knowledge. At the Teacher Summit, teachers meet

Nobel Laureates, scientists and educators to learn more about how the Nobel Prize can be an

inspiration in education.

They will discuss how to keep improving education to make every student reach his or her

top potential. How did the Nobel Laureates learn all the things they needed to make such a

difference to the world? What do they think are important skills and methods in teaching?

Exhibition Inauguration (by invitation only)

„For The Greatest Benefit To Humankind‟ will show how science, literature and peace efforts

are capable of improving and changing the world. The exhibition will focus on four themes

that explore topics of major importance in our era: „Saving Lives, „Feeding Humanity‟,

„Protecting The Planet‟ and „Connecting The World‟. The exhibition will be thrown open

to the public from September 12.

Dialogue (by invitation only)

The dialogue will offer a mixed programme consisting of panel discussions, keynote

speeches and Q&A sessions. Participating in the programme will be the Nobel Laureates and

a member of the Nobel Committee.

Sept 12, PAU Ludhiana

Nobel Prize Lectures

Serge Haroche, 2012 Physics Laureate, and Juleen Zierath, Member of the Royal Swedish

Academy of Sciences and Nobel Assembly, will deliver lectures on various themes. The

lectures will be followed by student round table discussions.