Final Report Summary - LIN10 (60th Nobel Laureate Meeting at Lindau - Interdiscinplinarity, Internationalisation, and Excellence)
From 27 June to 2 July, 2010, 59 Nobel laureates and 675 young researchers have spent a week together for intense scientific discussions and research at the 60th Nobel laureate meeting in Lindau. In far more than 100 scientific sessions, including plenary lectures, discussions sessions, workshops, plenary panels, networking events and various social events, the meeting provided ample opportunity for exchange and discussion.
Along its claim, 'Educate. Inspire. Connect', the meeting was a great success in displaying the latest results in research, to inspire top-talented young researchers, among them 46 % female, to further pursue their research career. In addition to that, the meeting again helped all participants to connect to their peers worldwide, establish new networks and to initiate new research cooperations.
The three sub-projects that were part of this grant contributed significantly to the overall access by enabling European young researchers to participate, and by supporting the realisation of formats that contribute to scientific excellence and to networking.
Project context and objectives:
For over half a century, Nobel Prize winners in medicine / physiology, chemistry and physics convene, in alternation, for one week each summer in Lindau. So far, about 25 000 promising young scientists have participated in these meetings. At each yearly meeting - which is conceived, organised and hosted by the two institutions 'Council for the Lindau Nobel laureate meetings' and 'Foundation Lindau Nobel Prize winners meetings at Lake Constance' - usually about twenty to thirty Nobel Prize winners attend to share insights into their life's work and to interact with approximately 600 outstanding young researchers and graduate students. Last year's 60th Nobel laureate meeting was also the Third Interdisciplinary Meeting (27 June to 2 July 2010), with 57 Nobel laureates from all disciplines attending.
1) A unique forum
As a worldwide unique and well accepted forum of excellence, the Lindau Nobel laureate meetings provide a flagship opportunity to implement the agenda of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), thus contributing to its scientific, societal, mobility and policy objectives. The long-term goals of the Lindau Council and the Foundation are to enhance the outreach of this unique European platform in science and the social sciences continuously. An important milestone to this ambitious goal was the contract with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), signed in 2007. Since then, lectures and interviews are provided to the Eurovision network TV stations for global and comprehensive broadcasting. Combined with the live streams available via internet, this cooperation has highly improved the media outreach and impact of the meetings and thus strengthened Europe's scientific research activities.
Enhanced international participation in the Lindau Nobel laureate meetings brings advanced research closer to more and more young European researchers and academics. By focusing on interdisciplinary aspects such as climate change, the curiosity, creativity and will to achieve of Europe's emerging research elite is fostered.
Moreover, increased outreach boosts the dialogue between science and society, while the participation of female researchers as well as the mobility of researchers are also encouraged. With a ratio of 46 % female participants to 54 % male participants, the 60th Lindau Nobel laureate meeting has succeeded in realising a remarkable gender balance, providing a unique chance especially to female research talents.
Wider journalistic coverage and the broadcast as TV signal and live stream via the Eurovision network stimulated positive interest in science and what science can achieve for humankind, enhancing both the pace and the acceptance of innovation.
2) Lindau dialogue
The progressive evolution of the unique Lindau platform into a European-based research 'Window to the world' contributes essentially to the FP7's objectives. This central goal of the Lindau dialogue finds particular expression in the international network of partnerships.
In an atmosphere of partnership and mutual respect, the Lindau Nobel laureate meetings reach out globally to foster dialogue amongst individuals, nations and cultures based on those shared principles and values in science and research central to the ideals and cultural context of Europe. The Lindau dialogue can also be seen in the outreach and mission education programmes, including the alumni network, the mediatheque with historical lectures from six generations, or the tiny tots science corner.
International partnerships and networks are the vital endeavour of the Lindau dialogue. During the 80s and 90s, participants of the Lindau Nobel laureate meetings came primarily from Germany, a few Western European countries and, since the 90s, from the United States (US); since 2000, more and more have come from Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, Israel, China, India, Japan, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan and Latin America. This project of internationalisation is still under way. In the past years, new memoranda of understanding have been signed with European countries as Austria, France, Greece, Italy and Portugal as well as with Turkey. Negotiations with Spain, the United Kingdom and Russia are under way. As a result, young researchers from 79 countries have attended the 60th meeting, among them several Marie Curie fellows.
In line with the founding concept of building bridges between nations and cultures, the Lindau forum offers the upcoming generation of scientists an opportunity to participate in and foster a 'dialogue among cultures', both on scientific issues, on the role of science in a changing society and on European citizens' aspirations for a better, more prosperous, and more peaceful future. The bridges they build have a lasting impact far beyond the meetings. In the course of their personal encounters, participants jointly develop new ideas and create networks of cooperation, of professional dialogue and international friendship to the benefit of scientific progress. In doing so, they explore and learn about each other's cultures and how to appreciate both differing opinions as well as common ground, regardless of age, nationalities, economic backgrounds, ethnicities, disciplines and religions. This reinforces the basis for peaceful co-operation and innovative as well as sustainable development.
3) Scientific excellence
Scientific excellence, besides internationalisation, is the second pillar of the Lindau philosophy. In Lindau, the laureates select topics of their own choice for their plenary lectures and engage in small group discussions in a familiar, informal setting. The academic programme is rich in content and influenced heavily by the Laureates' personal dedication to, and excellence in, basic research. As compared to other international forums, both in Europe and beyond, this is unique. Since 2004, a new, rigorous selection procedure has been established for interested applicants, based on scientific excellence and controlled by the scientific panel of each meeting. Needless to add that the contribution of the scientific secretaries of the Nobel committees - who have been represented officially on the Lindau Council since the year 2000 - is a further indication of the scientific excellence of the meeting's programme and the Lindau dialogue.
Project results:
The meeting has no direct science and technology (S&T) results. However, by fostering scientific exchange and the establishment of new scientific cooperations, it also indirectly contributes to S&T results.
Potential impact:
The Lindau Nobel laureate meetings provide an important scientific forum for stimulating dialogue on new discoveries, new methodologies and new issues as well as on day-to-day research matters. Discussion also broadens to the wider consequences of the Nobel laureates' work and achievements and the use to which they have been put by society. They thus constitute a remarkable learning experience.
Nobel laureates are amongst the world's most eminent scientists, and the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting 2010 provided emerging scientific talent with an opportunity rare in Europe - to interact directly with them and to build up an international network of excellence. The laureates' experience, their dedication to basic research and their achievements acted as an inspiration to young researchers. In personal interaction, their knowledge was exploited for the common good while in scientific discussions the laureates' vast pool of experience encouraged the participating young researchers, who left Lindau with a new message and inspiration.
In the vast majority of scientific disciplines, Europe faces a continuing trend by which its young scientific and academic elite is leaving its countries of origin to take advantage of better opportunities, better facilities, better networks elsewhere, mainly in the US but in some cases now also in Asia. This is an issue of active concern to both the EC and to European society at large. This is the context for the 'brain gain' initiative of the Lindau Nobel laureate meetings.
The cooperation with the EC allowed an increased number of students and young researchers at selected partner institutions to attend the Lindau Nobel laureate meetings and to participate in the dialogue of the scientific generations. This will significantly increase international public awareness of a truly unique European endeavour and again also serves to promote Europe in terms of basic research, scientific and academic excellence and interdisciplinary dialogue. Greater, more informed awareness of scientific issues among the general public in Europe can only facilitate the pace and acceptance of innovation and scientifically driven change. Moreover, while only a few hundred young scientists were privileged enough to physically participate, students and researchers from all over the world can benefit from the extensive online coverage, ranging from lecture streams to educational videos to comprehensive discussions, e.g. in the meeting blog.
Many past participants have confirmed that the meetings in Lindau established a base for longlasting scientific exchanges around the world. The scientific online community of the Lindau meetings (alumni network) will contribute to the dissemination of this European platform of excellence.
The grant by the EC allowed an increased number of the brightest and best young researchers from EU Member States and Associated Countries to participate actively in the scientific dialogue at the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting 2010. The curiosity and creativity of Europe's young research elite was thus fostered, triggering innovation and providing a catalyst for change. This should be seen in combination with the selection process for young attendees. Applications have been evaluated upon qualification, irrespective of nationality, economic background and ethnicity. Female researchers were particularly encouraged to attend.
The resulting quality of participants ensured that the young scientists act as ambassadors of experience, thus warranting an adequate feedback at universities and research centres throughout the EU and associated countries. As such, the 60th Meeting in 2010 made a real contribution to the standing and prestige of Europe as a research location, impacting perceptions and intentionally encouraging an inflow of talent from other regions of the world.
The continued cooperation with the EBU in 2010 helped to spread the message of the dialogue between the scientific generations to a worldwide public, well beyond the immediate participants of the meetings.
Project website:
http://www.lindau-nobel.org
Foundation Lindau Nobelprizewinners Meetings at Lake Constance
Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings
Alfred-Nobel-Platz 1
88131 Lindau
Germany
Along its claim, 'Educate. Inspire. Connect', the meeting was a great success in displaying the latest results in research, to inspire top-talented young researchers, among them 46 % female, to further pursue their research career. In addition to that, the meeting again helped all participants to connect to their peers worldwide, establish new networks and to initiate new research cooperations.
The three sub-projects that were part of this grant contributed significantly to the overall access by enabling European young researchers to participate, and by supporting the realisation of formats that contribute to scientific excellence and to networking.
Project context and objectives:
For over half a century, Nobel Prize winners in medicine / physiology, chemistry and physics convene, in alternation, for one week each summer in Lindau. So far, about 25 000 promising young scientists have participated in these meetings. At each yearly meeting - which is conceived, organised and hosted by the two institutions 'Council for the Lindau Nobel laureate meetings' and 'Foundation Lindau Nobel Prize winners meetings at Lake Constance' - usually about twenty to thirty Nobel Prize winners attend to share insights into their life's work and to interact with approximately 600 outstanding young researchers and graduate students. Last year's 60th Nobel laureate meeting was also the Third Interdisciplinary Meeting (27 June to 2 July 2010), with 57 Nobel laureates from all disciplines attending.
1) A unique forum
As a worldwide unique and well accepted forum of excellence, the Lindau Nobel laureate meetings provide a flagship opportunity to implement the agenda of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), thus contributing to its scientific, societal, mobility and policy objectives. The long-term goals of the Lindau Council and the Foundation are to enhance the outreach of this unique European platform in science and the social sciences continuously. An important milestone to this ambitious goal was the contract with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), signed in 2007. Since then, lectures and interviews are provided to the Eurovision network TV stations for global and comprehensive broadcasting. Combined with the live streams available via internet, this cooperation has highly improved the media outreach and impact of the meetings and thus strengthened Europe's scientific research activities.
Enhanced international participation in the Lindau Nobel laureate meetings brings advanced research closer to more and more young European researchers and academics. By focusing on interdisciplinary aspects such as climate change, the curiosity, creativity and will to achieve of Europe's emerging research elite is fostered.
Moreover, increased outreach boosts the dialogue between science and society, while the participation of female researchers as well as the mobility of researchers are also encouraged. With a ratio of 46 % female participants to 54 % male participants, the 60th Lindau Nobel laureate meeting has succeeded in realising a remarkable gender balance, providing a unique chance especially to female research talents.
Wider journalistic coverage and the broadcast as TV signal and live stream via the Eurovision network stimulated positive interest in science and what science can achieve for humankind, enhancing both the pace and the acceptance of innovation.
2) Lindau dialogue
The progressive evolution of the unique Lindau platform into a European-based research 'Window to the world' contributes essentially to the FP7's objectives. This central goal of the Lindau dialogue finds particular expression in the international network of partnerships.
In an atmosphere of partnership and mutual respect, the Lindau Nobel laureate meetings reach out globally to foster dialogue amongst individuals, nations and cultures based on those shared principles and values in science and research central to the ideals and cultural context of Europe. The Lindau dialogue can also be seen in the outreach and mission education programmes, including the alumni network, the mediatheque with historical lectures from six generations, or the tiny tots science corner.
International partnerships and networks are the vital endeavour of the Lindau dialogue. During the 80s and 90s, participants of the Lindau Nobel laureate meetings came primarily from Germany, a few Western European countries and, since the 90s, from the United States (US); since 2000, more and more have come from Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, Israel, China, India, Japan, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan and Latin America. This project of internationalisation is still under way. In the past years, new memoranda of understanding have been signed with European countries as Austria, France, Greece, Italy and Portugal as well as with Turkey. Negotiations with Spain, the United Kingdom and Russia are under way. As a result, young researchers from 79 countries have attended the 60th meeting, among them several Marie Curie fellows.
In line with the founding concept of building bridges between nations and cultures, the Lindau forum offers the upcoming generation of scientists an opportunity to participate in and foster a 'dialogue among cultures', both on scientific issues, on the role of science in a changing society and on European citizens' aspirations for a better, more prosperous, and more peaceful future. The bridges they build have a lasting impact far beyond the meetings. In the course of their personal encounters, participants jointly develop new ideas and create networks of cooperation, of professional dialogue and international friendship to the benefit of scientific progress. In doing so, they explore and learn about each other's cultures and how to appreciate both differing opinions as well as common ground, regardless of age, nationalities, economic backgrounds, ethnicities, disciplines and religions. This reinforces the basis for peaceful co-operation and innovative as well as sustainable development.
3) Scientific excellence
Scientific excellence, besides internationalisation, is the second pillar of the Lindau philosophy. In Lindau, the laureates select topics of their own choice for their plenary lectures and engage in small group discussions in a familiar, informal setting. The academic programme is rich in content and influenced heavily by the Laureates' personal dedication to, and excellence in, basic research. As compared to other international forums, both in Europe and beyond, this is unique. Since 2004, a new, rigorous selection procedure has been established for interested applicants, based on scientific excellence and controlled by the scientific panel of each meeting. Needless to add that the contribution of the scientific secretaries of the Nobel committees - who have been represented officially on the Lindau Council since the year 2000 - is a further indication of the scientific excellence of the meeting's programme and the Lindau dialogue.
Project results:
The meeting has no direct science and technology (S&T) results. However, by fostering scientific exchange and the establishment of new scientific cooperations, it also indirectly contributes to S&T results.
Potential impact:
The Lindau Nobel laureate meetings provide an important scientific forum for stimulating dialogue on new discoveries, new methodologies and new issues as well as on day-to-day research matters. Discussion also broadens to the wider consequences of the Nobel laureates' work and achievements and the use to which they have been put by society. They thus constitute a remarkable learning experience.
Nobel laureates are amongst the world's most eminent scientists, and the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting 2010 provided emerging scientific talent with an opportunity rare in Europe - to interact directly with them and to build up an international network of excellence. The laureates' experience, their dedication to basic research and their achievements acted as an inspiration to young researchers. In personal interaction, their knowledge was exploited for the common good while in scientific discussions the laureates' vast pool of experience encouraged the participating young researchers, who left Lindau with a new message and inspiration.
In the vast majority of scientific disciplines, Europe faces a continuing trend by which its young scientific and academic elite is leaving its countries of origin to take advantage of better opportunities, better facilities, better networks elsewhere, mainly in the US but in some cases now also in Asia. This is an issue of active concern to both the EC and to European society at large. This is the context for the 'brain gain' initiative of the Lindau Nobel laureate meetings.
The cooperation with the EC allowed an increased number of students and young researchers at selected partner institutions to attend the Lindau Nobel laureate meetings and to participate in the dialogue of the scientific generations. This will significantly increase international public awareness of a truly unique European endeavour and again also serves to promote Europe in terms of basic research, scientific and academic excellence and interdisciplinary dialogue. Greater, more informed awareness of scientific issues among the general public in Europe can only facilitate the pace and acceptance of innovation and scientifically driven change. Moreover, while only a few hundred young scientists were privileged enough to physically participate, students and researchers from all over the world can benefit from the extensive online coverage, ranging from lecture streams to educational videos to comprehensive discussions, e.g. in the meeting blog.
Many past participants have confirmed that the meetings in Lindau established a base for longlasting scientific exchanges around the world. The scientific online community of the Lindau meetings (alumni network) will contribute to the dissemination of this European platform of excellence.
The grant by the EC allowed an increased number of the brightest and best young researchers from EU Member States and Associated Countries to participate actively in the scientific dialogue at the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting 2010. The curiosity and creativity of Europe's young research elite was thus fostered, triggering innovation and providing a catalyst for change. This should be seen in combination with the selection process for young attendees. Applications have been evaluated upon qualification, irrespective of nationality, economic background and ethnicity. Female researchers were particularly encouraged to attend.
The resulting quality of participants ensured that the young scientists act as ambassadors of experience, thus warranting an adequate feedback at universities and research centres throughout the EU and associated countries. As such, the 60th Meeting in 2010 made a real contribution to the standing and prestige of Europe as a research location, impacting perceptions and intentionally encouraging an inflow of talent from other regions of the world.
The continued cooperation with the EBU in 2010 helped to spread the message of the dialogue between the scientific generations to a worldwide public, well beyond the immediate participants of the meetings.
Project website:
http://www.lindau-nobel.org
Foundation Lindau Nobelprizewinners Meetings at Lake Constance
Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings
Alfred-Nobel-Platz 1
88131 Lindau
Germany