On 5 March fact, fiction and the future of democracy will be discussed at the Nobel Prize Dialogue, the first ever to take place in Brussels.
Democratic societies rely on fact-based world views and science, but also on narratives that can bring together large, diverse communities. At a time when democracies are straining to cope with ongoing crises and long-term existential challenges this topic is more important than ever. 2024 is also a major election year, when many political parties in democratic countries across the world will be promoting their visions for the future and progress.
Nobel Prize laureates, scientists, journalists and AI experts will meet to discuss how to protect evidence-based knowledge as a way of valuing democracy. The dialogue offers possibilities for media to be part of the audience at this evening event at Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels and conduct interviews with laureates and speakers.
Speakers include Nobel Prize laureates Ben Feringa, Paul Nurse and Maria Ressa, Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of Center for Civil Liberties, recipient of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize as well as other experts such as Demis Hassabis, CEO DeepMind, and European Research Council grantees Michael Bruter, Emilie Caspar and Stefania Milan.
Nobel Prize Dialogue Brussels 2024 is delivered in partnership with Nobel Prize Outreach and the European Research Council, with the support of Nobel International Partners 3M, ABB, Capgemini, EQT, H2 Green Steel and Scania, and Event Partner Luminate. https://dialogue.nobelprize.org
5 March
Nobel Prize Dialogue: Fact & Fiction – The Future of Democracy
in collaboration with the European Research Council
Location: Palais des Beaux-Arts (Bozar), Brussels
Time: 19:00 – 21:00
Press can register at: https://dialogue.nobelprize.org/press
Press images can be found at: Images
The dialogue will also be live-streamed.
Separate interviews
There will be possibilities to interview laureates and speakers before and in connection to the day. All interviews must be pre-booked. Please contact: press@nobelprize.org
Speakers
Ben Feringa’s research interests include organic chemistry, nanotechnology and asymmetric catalysis. He received the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on molecular machines.
Oleksandra Matviichuk is a human rights defender who works on issues in Ukraine and the OSCE region. She heads the human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties, which was awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.
Paul Nurse is Director of the Francis Crick Institute in London, Chancellor of the University of Bristol, and has served as President of the Royal Society, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK and President of Rockefeller University. He shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Maria Ressa, journalist and co-founded Rappler, the top digital only news site that is leading the fight for press freedom in the Philippines. She was awarded the peace prize for her efforts to safeguard freedom of expression. She received the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize.
Demis Hassabis is the co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind, one of the world’s leading AI research organisations.
Michael Bruter is professor of political science at the LSE and Director of the Electoral Psychology Observatory. His research focuses on the sub-field of voters’ psychology, political behaviour, and political science research methods.
Emilie Caspar is a professor at Ghent University, Belgium, where she leads the Moral and Social Brain Lab. She specialises in social and cognitive neuroscience, striving to uncover the neural mechanisms underlying moral and immoral decision-making.
Stefania Milan is professor at the Department of Media Studies, University of Amsterdam. Her work explores the interplay between digital technology and data, political participation and governance, with focus on infrastructure and agency.