The “Dialogue between Future Leaders and Nobel Laureates“ was held as a pre-event in the frame of the Science and Technology in Society Forum (STS forum) Annual Meeting 2015 on October 3 at the Kyoto International Conference Center (ICC Kyoto), organized by Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). A total number of 73 Future Leaders from 34 countries gathered and joined a lively discussion moderated by Nobel Laureate Prof. Ryoji Noyori.
The participants were given the opportunity to exchange views and opinions with seven Nobel Laureates (Nobel Laureates in Physics: Prof. Hiroshi Amano (2014) and Prof. Jerome Isaac Friedman (1990); Nobel Laureates in Chemistry: Prof. Akira Suzuki (2010), Prof. Ryoji Noyori (2001) and Prof. Yuan Tseh Lee (1986); Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine: Sir Richard J. Roberts (1993) and Dr. Torsten Nils Wiesel (1981)) and to discuss how they can contribute to the improvement of the world through science and technology. Later in the afternoon, the discussion groups were re-formed and reports addressing the world of 2115 were developed collaboratively, containing a list of the major barriers that obstruct progress todayfs perspective, suggestions to overcome these barriers, and the participantsf commitments to concrete actions based on those suggestions.
During the workshop, two Future Leaders were selected to briefly report on their impressions of STS forum 2015 and convey their commitments on October 6.
JST, an integrated organization of science and technology in Japan, establishes an infrastructure for the entire process from the creation of knowledge to the return to the society. For more information, visit http://www.jst.go.jp/EN/