Press release from the Nobel Prize Museum

Teachers to discuss climate change with Nobel Laureates and top scientists

28 August 2019 View in Swedish

Between 7 and 14 October, this year’s Nobel Prizes will be announced. During the same period, the annual Nobel Prize Teacher Summit will also be organised in Stockholm. The theme of the 2019 international teacher conference will be climate change. During this full-day event, teachers from all over the world will discuss how they can work with this issue in their instruction. Nobel Laureates who helped develop the LED lamp and discover how freons damage the ozone layer will be on hand to inspire the Teacher Summit participants.

The 2019 Nobel Prize Teacher Summit will take place on 11 October. Its theme is Climate Change Changes Everything. Climate change affects us all, and the way it is addressed in the educational system will have a major impact on future generations. But how best should teachers present this topic in order to spread knowledge and engagement, while combating climate anxiety and apathy? How can teachers support their students in finding constructive ways to work towards a sustainable future? These and many other questions will be discussed during the day’s sessions. 

“There are many challenges related to climate, and schools are important places to explore this issue from the perspectives of different subject areas. Teachers have a major influence on social evolution, and we want to support them in various ways by providing an exchange of experiences and inspiration,” says Annika Hedås Falk, Vice President Education at the Nobel Prize Museum, who is responsible for the Teacher Summit.


Johan Rockström, Professor of Environmental Science in Stockholm, is one of the speakers, along with three Nobel Laureates:

Hiroshi Amano, 2014 Nobel Laureate in Physics, who co-invented the blue light-emitting diode that made today’s white LED lamps possible.

Beatrice Fihn, Executive Director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), which was awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize.

Mario J. Molina, 1995 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, who helped discover how freons damage the ozone layer of the atmosphere. 

The Teacher Summit will combine inspiring lectures, on-stage interviews and round-table discussions, where teachers from all over the world will be able to exchange experiences. About 350 teachers will attend. 

“We will have several Nobel Laureates at hand. The Nobel Prize is able to inspire and engage people, and I am convinced that the participation of the Laureates will provide motivation to the teachers who attend,” says Annika Hedås Falk.

The Nobel Prize Teacher Summit is an international teacher conference held in Stockholm every October, where teachers from all over the world meet Nobel Laureates, top scientists and peace activists to discuss a theme of great importance. The initiative is based on the ability of the Nobel Prize to inspire people to seek out knowledge, ask questions and try to understand and improve the world.

Nobel Prize Museum

The Nobel Prize shows that ideas can change the world. The courage, creativity and perseverance of the Nobel Prize laureates inspire us and give us hope for the future. Films, in-depth tours, and artefacts tell the stories of the laureates and their contributions “for the greatest benefit to humankind”. Based on the Nobel Prize’s unique combination of fields – natural sciences, literature and peace – we examine the greatest challenges of our time and show how we can respond to them through science, humanism and collaboration. With our exhibitions, school programmes, lectures and conversations, we at the Nobel Prize Museum strive to engage the public in making a better world. Today we are located on Stortorget, the main square in Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old Town district. We are planning to create a new home for our public outreach activities at Slussen in central Stockholm.

Contacts
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