Nobel Laureates, world-leading scientists, policy makers and thought leaders will discuss latest thinking and action on the Future of Learning.
The Nobel Prize Series, an exciting new platform featuring a conference, public lectures, an executive roundtable discussion, an exhibition and various social activities, bringing together the world’s leading minds on global affairs and development, will make its debut in Singapore this November.
Several thousand people, including five Nobel Laureates – Professor Ada Yonath (Chemistry, 2009), Sir Harold Walter Kroto (Chemistry, 1996), Sir James Mirrlees (Economic Sciences, 1996), Professor Stefan Hell (Chemistry, 2014) and Professor Wole Soyinka (Literature, 1986) – as well as the world’s top public and business leaders, academics, educators, community stakeholders and students will converge in Singapore for the Nobel Prize Series Singapore 2015 to discuss the latest thinking that will impact the future of learning and development in the 21st century.
The Nobel Prize Series Singapore 2015 is produced by Nobel Media and the Nobel Museum in partnership with Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore). The event will be launched on 5 Nov 2015 by His Excellency, Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, President of the Republic of Singapore. Singapore’s Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Mr Ong Ye Kung will also attend the opening and take part in the Executive Roundtable discussion.
The Future of Learning
The Nobel Prize Series Singapore 2015 will feature a main conference and an executive roundtable about “The Future of Learning”, four public lectures incorporating dialogues with students, as well as a special exhibition.
The travelling exhibition The Nobel Prize – Ideas Changing the World will be displayed at the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands, from 7 Nov 2015 to 24 Jan 2016. The exhibition tells the story of Alfred Nobel, the Nobel Prize, Nobel Laureates and how Nobel Prize-awarded work has shaped and continues to change our world. For the first time, exhibition visitors will be able to explore the life of Alfred Nobel and the history of the Nobel Prize through a digital experience based on his will, which left much of his wealth to the establishment of the Nobel Prize.
“We are delighted to present the Nobel Prize Series in Singapore as a part of our global outreach with the ambition of raising engagement in science, literature and peace in line with Alfred Nobel’s vision,” said Dr Lars Heikensten, Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation. “We believe in lifelong learning and the power of ideas. By stimulating dialogue between great minds from both science and society, we wish to inspire all participants, bring important issues into the public debate and make a difference with science as a starting point.”
Professor Bertil Andersson, President of NTU Singapore and former Chairman of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry selection committee, said that NTU’s partnership with Nobel Media and the Nobel Museum to present the first Nobel Prize Series provides a rare opportunity for some of the world’s brightest minds to deliberate on a subject of enormous importance to NTU and Singapore.
“The future of learning is especially relevant to NTU and we have begun innovating the way students learn in a big way. Key initiatives include the introduction of the flipped classroom pedagogy, building more high-tech smart classrooms, launching massive open online courses (MOOCs) and setting up the Centre for Research and Development in Learning (CRADLE@NTU) to advance innovative approaches in tertiary learning,” said Professor Andersson. “It is apt and timely that Singapore is chosen as the venue, because this country is well-known globally for education excellence. Research and education are the twin pillars of any world-class university and NTU is no exception. This high-profile event where Nobel Laureates like Sir Harold Kroto who all share a common passion in learning is also a fitting tribute to Singapore on its 50th birthday this year.”
Busy schedule at Nobel Prize Series Singapore 2015
Executive Roundtable
Main Conference
Four Public Lectures by Nobel Laureates
Public Exhibition entitled “The Nobel Prize – Ideas Changing the World”
The two-day programme will kick off with the Executive Roundtable on the morning of 5 November at NTU’s latest architectural icon, The Hive. The exclusive dialogue is expected to see a fruitful discussion among the 30 participants, which includes the Nobel Laureates, and a select group of business, academic and political leaders. The Roundtable, which will address issues, trends, opportunities and challenges facing education in the 21st century, will be a rare opportunity to meet, exchange ideas and be inspired by the Nobel Laureates.
The Roundtable is followed by the main Conference at NTU’s Nanyang Auditorium that afternoon which brings together the Nobel Laureates and a group of eminent speakers, including business and government leaders. The Conference which features two panels will be interactive in nature, drawing on the audience’s participation.
The first session will feature prominent business leader and NTU Board of Trustees Chairman Mr Koh Boon Hwee, Professors Kroto and Yonath and NTU Assistant Professor Juliana Chan, a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum.
On the panel for the second session are Singapore’s Ambassador-at-Large Professor Chan Heng Chee, Sir Mirrlees, Professors Hell and Soyinka, and NTU Assistant Professor Chou Meng-Hsuan, an Associate Fellow at EU Centre Singapore.
In addition to the above events, four public lectures by the Nobel Laureates will be held concurrently on 6 November at NTU Singapore, the Singapore Management University and the National Gallery of Singapore.
Professor Soyinka will discuss “Playing Footsy with Terror” at the NTU School of Humanities and Social Sciences Auditorium, while Professor Hell’s talk at the NTU School of Physical & Mathematical Sciences is titled “The Resolution Revolution”.
Over at the National Gallery, Sir Kroto and Professor Yonath will both explore “The Relationship between Science and Art”, while the lecture on “The Causes of Economic Inequality” by Sir Mirrlees is at the Singapore Management University’s Mochtar Riady Auditorium.
For the synopsis of the public lectures, please see appendix.
Media contact:
Feisal Abdul Rahman
Senior Assistant Director (Media Relations)
Corporate Communications Office
Nanyang Technological University
Tel: (65) 6790 6687
Email: feisalar@ntu.edu.sg
Media contact for international media:
Facts – Nobel Prize Series Singapore 2015
Website: www.nobelprize.org/singapore2015
Public events:
– Conference
Date: 5 November
Time: 1.30-5pm
Venue: Nanyang Auditorium
Theme: The Future of Learning
Entrance fee: Free to attend
– 4 parallel Lectures
Date: 6 November
Time: 10-11am
Venues: NTU, SMU and National Gallery Singapore
Entrance fee: Free to attend
– Exhibition
Date: 7 November – 17 January 2016
Venue: ArtScience Museum
Organisers: Nobel Media and the Nobel Museum in partnership with Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Event Partners: Saab and Scania
Media Partner: The Straits Times
Supporting Organisations: Stockholm Business Region, Singapore Management University
About Nobel Prize Series
Nobel Prize Series aims to stimulate innovation and creative thinking, bringing together Nobel Laureates, other experts and lifelong learners. This unique programme combines conference, lectures, roundtables, an exhibition and other meeting spaces. By sharing achievements and stories of Nobel Laureates with a global audience, this official Nobel programme inspires engagement in science, literature and peace in line with Alfred Nobel’s vision.
For more information, visit www.nobelprize.org/events/nobel-prize-series.
About Nobel Media
Nobel Media spreads knowledge about Nobel Prize-awarded achievements and stimulates interest in science, literature and peace in line with Alfred Nobel’s vision and legacy. The company reaches a global audience of millions through its high quality productions within broadcast and digital media which includes the official Nobelprize.org website and podcast, the Nobel Prize Concert, as well as a series of intercontinental, inspirational lecture events featuring Nobel Laureates. The company also manages a portfolio of publishing licenses, footage sales, and live broadcast rights to the Nobel Prize Award Ceremonies.
For more information, visit: www.nobelprize.org, Twitter: @NobelPrize, Facebook: www.facebook.com/Nobelprize.org, YouTube: www.youtube.com/nobelprize, Google +: plus.google.com/+NobelPrize
About Nobel Museum
The Nobel Museum is a museum devoted to circulate information on the Nobel Prize, Nobel laureates from 1901 to present, and the life of the founder of the prize, Alfred Nobel (1833-1896). The Nobel Museum’s aim is to spread knowledge as well as to create interest and discussion around the natural sciences and culture through creative learning and exhibition techniques, modern technology and elegant design.
For more information, visit: www.nobelmuseum.se.
About Nanyang Technological University
A research-intensive public university, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has 33,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the colleges of Engineering, Business, Science, and Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences. It has a new medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, set up jointly with Imperial College London.
NTU is also home to world-class autonomous institutes – the National Institute of Education, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Earth Observatory of Singapore, and Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering – and various leading research centres such as the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI), Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N) and the Institute on Asian Consumer Insight (ACI).
A fast-growing university with an international outlook, NTU is putting its global stamp on Five Peaks of Excellence: Sustainable Earth, Future Healthcare, New Media, New Silk Road, and Innovation Asia.
NTU’s main campus at Yunnan Garden has been named one of Top 15 Most Beautiful in the World. It also has a campus in Novena, Singapore’s medical district.
For more information, visit www.ntu.edu.sg.