Annual Report 2025 - Report - Page 7
Countess Bettina Bernadotte and Professor Jürgen Kluge
At Lindau, however, we have a different approach. We
continue to believe – as we did 74 years ago – in the unifying power of science to bring people together across the
globe. Not in a naïve manner – the challenges we face are
complex – but in a spirit of benevolence and cooperation
that recognizes the humanity in each of us.
Since the 1950s, researchers from countries often at
odds, and sometimes even at war with each other, have
gathered here in Lindau, at the city, the lake, and the flower island of Mainau, to leave behind the conflicts of their
daily lives and engage in a week of constructive dialogue.
This is why we are alert to the risks posed to science –
and to the very way we conduct science. Last year, for
example, we saw about ten Young Scientists who had to
cancel their participation due to fears that they would
not be able to return to the countries where they are conducting their research, or because their universities explicitly advised them not to leave. During the Chemistry
Meeting, we offered various formats for Laureates and
Young Scientists alike to discuss these and other fundamental challenges facing scientists today.
“Educate – Inspire – Connect.” True to our motto, the
Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings stand for a fruitful en-
counter of the generations. We celebrate the tremendous
progress that science and enlightenment have brought
to humanity, while also reflecting on the risks implied in
any discovery. Lindau stands for academic freedom and
the liberty of science, for internationalism, tolerance, and
diversity. Scientific dialogue lies at the heart of the Meetings, and the foundation of scientific dialogue is respect.
By respecting our fellow participants, by striving to understand their perspectives, we affirm that science – and
scientists from everywhere – are welcome at Lindau.
This openness will also characterize our 75th anniversary, which we very much look forward to celebrating
with the wide community of Lindau’s friends this summer, and which we have given the motto: “Science Transcending Borders”.
Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg
President
Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings
Jürgen Kluge
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Foundation Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings
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