Seven Nobel Laureates to Visit Indonesia in 2017

Jakarta Globe, Edo Karensa, October 12, 2016

Vice President Jusuf Kalla, second from left, along with International Peace
 Foundation chairman Uwe Morawetz, third from left, in Jakarta on Wednesday
(12/10). (Antara Photo/Muhammad Adimaja)

Jakarta. Seven Nobel laureates, who have been recognized for their contributions in the fields of chemistry, physics, literature, peace and medicine, are scheduled to visit Indonesia between January and March next year for a series of events.

The theme of the "Bridges – Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace" event series, initiated by the Vienna-based International Peace Foundation, will be "building a culture of peace and development in a globalized world."

Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is honorary chairman of the event in Indonesia, said it will set a good example for dialogue between East and West.

"The event is called 'dialogues,' so it is not like a lecture. We will hear the perspectives of the Nobel laureates," Kalla told reporters during a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday (12/10).

International Peace Foundation founding chairman Uwe Morawetz, said the aim of the events is to facilitate and strengthen dialogue and communication between societies in Southeast Asia with their multiple cultures and religions to promote mutual understanding and trust.

"The events will build bridges between Nobel laureates, local universities and other institutions in Southeast Asia to establish long-term relationships, which may result in common research in the future," Morawetz said.

The topics will cover a wide range of issues in politics, economics, science, culture and the media, which highlights the challenges and impact of both globalism and regionalism.

Among the speakers who will visit Indonesia are economics laureate professor Eric S. Maskin, European Commission president Jose Manuel Baroso, physics laureate professor Sheldon L. Glashow, medicine laureate Sir Richard J. Roberts, economics laureate Robert F. Engle III, physics laureate Jerome I. Friedman and chemistry laureate Peter Agre.

The series will be staged in cooperation with the University of Indonesia, the Jakarta State University, Atma Jaya Catholic University, Binus School Simprug, Binus University, Ipeka Integrated School and Prasetya Mulia University in the greater Jakarta area; the Bandung Institute of Technology and Airlangga University in Bandung, West Java; Ubaya University in Surabaya, East Java; and Udayana University in Bali.

Members of the general public will be able to attend the events free of charge.

The 2016 #NobelPrize laureates pic.twitter.com/1eInQFVdy7

— AFP news agency (@AFP) October 13, 2016