Annual Report 2025 - Report - Page 70
Greetings from Stockholm
A Shared Nobel Heritage
Hans Ellegren, then Secretary-General of the Royal Swedish
Academy of Sciences, sent virtual greetings from Stockholm …
… to the audience in Lindau's Inselhalle
“The first endowed Lindau Meeting took
place in 1951 and it has since established itself as a long-standing tradition. The original idea was to allow scientists from all over the world
to communicate and exchange ideas across national
borders. This was truly a visionary example of science
diplomacy. Throughout the years, Lindau has become an
important place where Laureates meet and inspire new
generations of young researchers. Today, this meeting is
indeed global in scope.
Young Scientists come to Lindau from all over the
world, truly in the spirit of Alfred Nobel himself. He did
not want to consider nationality in choosing the Laureates, but rather only the achievements of the greatest
benefit for humankind.
Science diplomacy is more important today than it
has been for many decades. Academic freedom is currently challenged in many countries, not least for political reasons. It sometimes manifests as excessive chauvinism, which is incompatible with the free exchange of
data and ideas. This exchange has often been described as
the ‘Republic of Letters’, the very essence of the academic
world. We must actively protect academic freedom in the
turbulent times in which we live. It is an inherent component, essentially a prerequisite for democracy.
Let me finish with a few words about ongoing Nobel
life in Stockholm. Our new Executive Director for the
Nobel Foundation, Hanna Stjärne, has now served for
eight months and has made a magnificent start in her
important work to develop the Nobel Foundation in
changing and challenging times. Under her leadership,
we are formulating a new strategy for the Nobel sphere
in Stockholm and Oslo and we have taken a decisive step
towards the new Nobel House – tentatively the Nobel
Center – planned in Stockholm and financed by the Knut
and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and the Erling-Persson
Foundation.
Situated centrally in the city, I am convinced that
this house, the new home of Alfred Nobel, will play an
important role for the visibility of the rich Nobel heritage in Stockholm and for the international outreach of
the Nobel Prize. Finally, I send you greetings from Stockholm and wish you the best of luck for a highly rewarding
Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Economic
Sciences 2025.”
68 | 8th Lindau Nobel Meeting in Economic Sciences
