▎PEOPLE

To deepen Taiwan’s engagement with the global academic community, National Taiwan University and the Swedish Representative Office in Taiwan jointly launched the special exhibition “Conversations with Nobel: Echoes and Origins of the Nobel Prize” on May 4 at NTU’s General Building of Liberal Education.

More than a celebration of scientific achievement, the exhibition explores the deeper meaning of the Nobel Prize: its power to inspire future generations to pursue knowledge, challenge conventions, and aspire to innovate transformative ideas.

At the opening ceremony, NTU President Wen-Chang Chen emphasized that the significance of the Nobel laureates lies not just in the honor itself, but in their enduring contributions to human civilization. Breakthrough discoveries, he noted, are often the result of years of persistence and the courage to question established paradigms. He encouraged students and faculty to engage with the Nobel lectures and exhibition not simply as historical retrospectives, but as inspirations for continued intellectual inquiry and academic ambition.

Vice Minister of Education Kuo-Wei Liu highlighted the longstanding educational ties between Taiwan and Sweden, noting that the two sides have signed more than 110 academic agreements and continue to support active student exchanges. He expressed the hope that Taiwan and Swedish universities would further expand their collaborative scholarship and research programs to nurture future innovators.

James C. Liao, President of Academia Sinica and co-chair of the Taiwan Bridges Program, reflected on the relationship between science and the humanities. Scientific progress, he said, depends on a willingness to question authority and embrace experimentation without fear of failure. Nonetheless, while science drives innovation, it is the humanities that provide ethical direction and social meaning. The two, he argued, must remain in dialogue and inseparable in addressing the challenges of the modern era.

Helena Reitberger, Representative of Sweden to Taiwan, shared a moving story from 2023, when she accompanied Nobel Prize-winning author Jon Fosse on a visit to an underserved high school. Watching students respond to the ideals embodied by the Nobel Prize, she said, reminded her that its greatest power lies not in prestige, but in its ability to awaken potential and inspire aspiration among young people.

“That,” she said, “is the true power of the Nobel Prize.”

The exhibition features three thematic sections: a Swedish Nobel exhibition area, the Taiwan Bridges Program, and NTU’s Nobel Laureate Lecture Series. Through archival footage, interactive installations and materials drawn from both Sweden and Taiwan, the exhibition invites visitors into a dialogue that spans generations, disciplines, and cultures.

Organizers intend that the exhibition will serve not only as a tribute to Nobel history, but also as a living platform for reflection on the values of curiosity, perseverance and intellectual courage that continue to shape the pursuit of knowledge today.