Three GYA members participated in the 72nd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, held in June 2023. GYA alumni Suraj Bhattarai (Global Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies, Nepal) and Huanyu Cheng (Pennsylvania State University, USA) had been selected as in-person participants from among GYA nominees in 2020, and their participation was postponed due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. New GYA member Antonia Morita Saktiawati  (Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia) was independently selected as a participant.Â
The meeting brought together on around 40 Nobel Laureates and almost 600 young scientists from all over the world, and included a science festival, lectures from eminent Nobel laureates, panel discussions, science talks and inspiring conversations with laureates and other early-career researchers (ECRs).
Suraj Bhattarai remembers:
“The Nobel Laureate Meetings are probably the best science meetings that one could attend in their lifetime. (…) [Y]oung scientists got the opportunity to participate in panel discussions, agora talks, laureate luncheons, science walks with the laureates, and formal exchanges as well as informal interactions with the fellow scientists. All the talks and panels were inspiring and motivational. I found a common message in all those sessions – ‘identify the most difficult problem (that no one else has worked on before), focus on it for years and years, and be proud of your work and result whether it is positive or negative’.”Â
Alongside official talks, lunches and panel discussions, conference participants could engage in workshops covering important topics of global relevance:
“[T]he most contextual was the workshop on ‘Climate Change and Global Health’ which engaged hundreds of enthusiastic scientists. Participants discussed the emergence and impact of climate sensitive diseases at national and regional level, then highlighted the leadership role of governments as well as the lead scientists in curbing carbon emissions.”
Antonia Morita Saktiawati shared:
“The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings connect young scientists with the Nobel laureates to educate and inspire the next generation to conduct excellent science with integrity.”
Huanyu Cheng was inspired by a quote by Stefan Hell at the meeting:Â “Wo ein Wille ist, ist auch ein Weg“.
Find out more about the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting here.
