Meeting of Minds as Nobel Prize Laureates and Youth Discuss Global Well-being in Singapore - NUS Medicine

Issue 44
Nov 2022

DOSSIER

Rising global temperatures, global pandemics, war in Europe, intensifying geopolitical tensions in Asia and the Middle East, acute food shortages, systemic poverty, resource scarcity and gender inequality.

These are the endemic, globe-spanning issues that 60 students between 15 and 35 years old here and their Asia-Pacific counterparts, were invited to discuss with Nobel Prize laureates and international experts at the Nobel Prize Dialogue, held in Singapore on 13 September 2022.

Organised by the Nobel Prize Outreach and NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine) in partnership with the Asian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) Singapore, the Nobel Prize Dialogue featured a series of discussions and a one-day plenary.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Singapore, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan giving his address at the Nobel Prize Dialogue 2022.

Themed, ‘The Future We Want Together’, it presented an opportunity for youth and Nobel Prize laureates, together with local and international thought leaders, to share, review and crystallise ideas and suggestions that could help deal with the most critical problems facing the world today.

Participating Nobel Prize laureates Serge Haroche, physics laureate 2012; Kailash Satyarthi, peace laureate 2014 and George Smoot, physics laureate 2006 flew in for the event, while Steven Chu, physics laureate 1997; Angus Deaton, economic sciences laureate 2015; Esther Duflo, economic sciences laureate 2019; May-Britt Moser, medicine laureate 2014; and Paul Romer, economic sciences laureate 2018 participated via video conferencing and pre-recorded sessions.

The opening ceremony for this first-ever Nobel Prize Dialogue held in Southeast Asia was graced by Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan. The Dialogue was held at the Raffles City Convention Centre and also streamed to audiences online.

“It is a time of great danger, but also a time of exhilarating opportunities. It is a time in history when science, technology, politics, global affairs and humanity are all telescoping into a focal point. You will find that all Nobel Laureates are not just about science or their domain expertise, but they come with values and a very broad worldview. Platforms like the Nobel Prize Dialogue are opportunities to share ideas, learn from one another, discover our common humanity, look for global solutions to global problems and find new networks of collaboration.” Dr Balakrishnan said in his address at the Nobel Prize Dialogue 2022.

It is a time of great danger, but also a time of exhilarating opportunities. It is a time in history when science, technology, politics, global affairs and humanity are all telescoping into a focal point. You will find that all Nobel Laureates are not just about science or their domain expertise, but they come with values and a very broad worldview. Platforms like the Nobel Prize Dialogue are opportunities to share ideas, learn from one another, discover our common humanity, look for global solutions to global problems and find new networks of collaboration.”

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Singapore

The Dialogue spanned six broad areas in the context of ongoing global crises: Education, Climate Change, Health, Happiness as well as Economic and Digital Well-being—areas that garner the most concern from youths today. Faced with alarming potential concerns such as educational disruption and reduced career opportunities, increasing economic and social inequities, digital disruptions as well as mounting mental health concerns, the programme saw keen discussions among and between the audience and speakers.

Mr George Smoot, 2006 physics laureate, and astropreneur, Ms Karin Nilsdotter, discussing the potential and possibilities of what outer space could mean for mankind in the future.

A special session was also included in the event, delving into conflict prevention, management and resolution as well as the exploration and colonisation of space. Participants had fruitful and in-depth discussions on the way forward, to promote humanity’s well-being.

“Students from all over the Asia-Pacific region have a leading role in the Dialogue. Our experience is that these kinds of inter-generational discussions are of great importance for the students, the laureates and the broader society,” said Laura Sprechmann, Chief Executive Officer of the Nobel Prize Outreach, emphasising the pivotal role of students in solving global issues.

Students listening intently at the Nobel Prize Dialogue Singapore 2022.

Professor Chong Yap Seng, Dean of NUS Medicine added, “Our youth is our future. How that future unfolds will to a very large extent be determined by the actions that we take today, to face the myriad crises and challenges that confront humankind. Climate change is an existential threat, as is disease. Poverty and conflict are phenomena that result from the pursuit of narrow, exclusivist interests that are further entrenched through the advent of technology.”

“Young people must be involved in shaping the decisions and actions that are taken to confront and surmount these threats; their voices and views must be heard and respected and their involvement is paramount. That is the ultimate purpose of the Nobel Prize Dialogue Singapore, which we organised together with Nobel Prize Outreach.”

Click here to read news from the Nobel Prize Dialogue Singapore.

Click here to watch the Nobel Prize Dialogue 2022.

Photo credit: NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.