Meeting Nobel laureates in Lindau

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sun, 08/12/2007 1:05 PM  |  Life

Johanes Kristianto, Contributor, Jakarta

The 57th Meeting of Nobel laureates in Lindau from July 1 to 6 was dedicated for the 19th time to physiology and medicine.

More than 500 students and young researchers from some 63 countries joined 18 laureates for a week of dialog.

Lindau's open and informal gathering offered a unique forum for personal interaction between laureates and up-and-coming scientists from many different cultures.

I was chosen to go there by Dean Maruli Pandjaitan, following an invitation from Rector Peter Pscheid.

I sent several documents required for the selection process, and waited for the result from the committee.

After some time, the long-awaited e-mail arrived. I had passed the selection criteria to attend the meeting in July. I was really happy and more than a little surprised.

Anyway, I felt proud to represent my country and university and also curious about the program. When the day came, I went to Lindau on a Deutsche Bahn train.

The programs started on a Sunday. A panel discussion at the opening ceremony addressed the theme Science and Humanities.

Two round-table discussions took place on July 3 on the topics Sciences in Molecular Medicine and on July 5, Medical Sciences and Society.

In total 14 lectures were given by laureates including protein interactions in biomedicine, biological signal transfer, electron transfer in chemistry and biology, neurobiology, molecular evolution and its impact, microbiology and immunology.

Laureates then came together each afternoon with students and young researchers in specially arranged informal group discussions.

On the Tuesday afternoon a focal point dubbed the Science Bazaar was held where the laureates attending formed small groups with young researchers to stimulate an intensive exchange of knowledge and experience.

The social program included an evening concert on Wednesday as well as guided city tours through the medieval City of Lindau.

As in previous years, on the last day, a boat trip across Lake Constance took laureates and young researchers to the Isle of Mainau, where Countess Sonja Bernadotte bade farewell to the participants at Mainau Castle.

It was an unforgettable week's stay in Lindau. I acquired invaluable experience and knowledge directly from some world-famous scientists.

In contrast to the inclement weather, the meeting brought a fresh, interactive climate within the field of physiology and medicine.

Together, the laureates and participants mixed without barriers in the name of science.

I would like to express my gratitude to all those who made it possible for me to attend the meeting. I hope I can attend future meetings and meet again with such great people.

The writer is a student with the Swiss German University School of Biomedical Engineering at Bumi Serpong Damai, Tangerang.

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