For many years it has been a tradition to invite the new Nobel Prize laureates to Uppsala University in connection with the Nobel Prize festivities in Stockholm. The program for the visit includes a reception with the Vice Chancellor and lunch at Uppsala Castle, but also much appreciated and well-attended open lectures by the guest laureates.
Visits from Nobel laureates to Uppsala a much-appreciated tradition
The tradition of visits to Uppsala University by Nobel prizewinners is as old as the Nobel Prize, says Per Ström, Steward of the Academy at Uppsala University.
Visits to Uppsala University used to be arranged by the Nobel Foundation as part of the program for the laureates. This is no longer the case, but many of them still accept the invitation.
Rumors travel fast in the research community, says Per Ström. Many of the laureates come from the same university as earlier Nobel prizewinners and have heard about the visit to Uppsala from their senior colleagues.
Standing room only at lectures
The Nobel laureates appreciate the lunch at the castle, and many of them also enjoy lecturing to the unusually attentive audiences across the Uppsala campuses.
These lectures provide them with an opportunity to talk about their science to a young and receptive public. The halls are usually packed, with many people standing in line to get in. It’s a folk fest of sorts, says Mattias Bolkeus Blom.
A total of some twenty people, besides the technical staff, are involved in the visit from the Nobel laureates. By now it has become a very smooth operation, with scope for innovation.
Reception in the Main University Building
The Nobel prizewinners have a lot to cram into the day, with a reception in the Main University Building, lectures, guided tours, and lunch at the castle. Some of them also request time to converse with a small contingent of research colleagues.
And tradition is ever present. Lecture venues like Siegbahn Hall and Svedberg Hall bring to mind two of Uppsala University’s own Nobel laureates. Many times, more recent Nobel prizewinners also have connections with the University, in the form of honorary doctorates, for example.
