The Nobel Prize Dialogue is an annual conference which should improve the public communication between scientists and the rest of the society. 2019, it took place in Berlin with the topic “Towards Health – Equality, Responsibility and Research”. On the occasion of current pandemics, increasing numbers of patients suffering from tumors or neurodegenerative diseases and other medical problems, it was discussed how the global health status can be enhanced.
Two students of the Elite Graduate Program „Human Biology – Principles of Health and Disease” got the unique chance to participate in the Nobel Prize Dialogue in Berlin on the 8th November 2019. The trip was sponsored by the Elite Network of Bavaria as an award for the best presentation in course of a seminar about Nobel Prizes which were awarded because of their high medical importance. This seminar is part of the main module „Microbiology, Infection and Immunology“.
Four Nobel Laureates discussed together with other world-leading scientists and politicians the current status of global health and several aspects affecting it.
Those are some examples of the questions that were arising and heavily debated in short presentations, open discussions and lunchtime conversations.
During the podium discussions and presentations, the auditorium was not able to participate or asking questions. However, these sessions encouraged to self-reflect the arising problems and think about possible connections and solutions. On the other hand, everybody could introduce his or her own thoughts and questions as a part of the lunchtime conservations and discussions in the afternoon.
It was highly impressing to get inputs from different scientific, sociological and political fields which were combined to a wide and highly connected network of aspects influencing the global health. The Nobel Prize Dialogue is a great event to give scientists a general overview of results in other scientific fields but also to inform the non-scientific society. Together, we all try to create a connecting platform that moves the global society towards health.
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Luise Schröger, Elite Graduate Program "Human Biology – Principles of Health and Disease"
