The Nobel
Foundation
2011 Annual Review
1
The Nobel Foundation
2011 Annual Review
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The announcement in Oslo: © The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Ken Opprann
Alfred Nobel and the testament: © The Nobel Foundation
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Nobel Prize Concert: © Nobel Media AB, Photo: Claes Löfgren, Thomas Sargent: © The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Frida Westholm
Brian Schmidt: © The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Orasis, The Nobel Foundation plate: © The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Orasis
Saul Perlmutter: © The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Orasis, Tomas Tranströmer: © The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Orasis
The Nobel Peace Prize Laureates: © The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Ken Opprann
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The Nobel Foundation, P.O. Box 5232, SE-102 45 Stockholm, Sweden
a word from the
executive director
© Nobelstiftelsen, foto: Orasis
P
Lars Heikensten took
office
as Executive Director of the
Nobel Foundation in June
2011, when his predecessor
Michael Sohlman retired.
resumably, many people
know Alfred Nobel as
the inventor of dynamite and the man behind the
Nobel Prize, although this may
be as far as their knowledge
extends. As the new Executive
Director of the Nobel Foundation, I felt it would be appropriate to read a couple of
works on Alfred Nobel. These
works painted the picture of
a hard-working inventor and
entrepreneur who used the
world as his workshop; a true
Renaissance man with a keen
interest in science, philosophy and literature. Indeed,
his entire life’s work was characterised by the
Enlightenment’s ideals about the quest for
knowledge, the belief in humanism and a striving to further scientific development. Reading
these books was inspiring and I couldn’t help
but wonder what more Alfred Nobel would
have liked to do today with the fortune he left
behind.
For more than a century, the Nobel Foundation and the prize-awarding institutions
mentioned in Nobel’s will have worked to
make his wishes a reality. In many ways, one
have succeeded admirably. The Nobel Prize is
both world-renowned and unique and has been
described as “the gold standard against which
all other prizes are measured”. Preserving the
status of the Nobel Prize and its good name is
our most important task and it requires, first
and foremost, that the Nobel Prize continues to
be awarded both competently and independently by the respective prize-awarding institutions.
The Nobel Committees’ work is dependent
upon the funds Alfred Nobel left in his will.
The Nobel Foundation is tasked with managing
these funds in a careful manner, so that the
Nobel Prize will continue to exist for all time. In
times such as these, marred by global financial unrest, this is a difficult commission. The
Foundation’s assets, and therein its buffer, is not
as substantial as many may imagine. At the end
of 2011, the market value of the Foundation’s
capital was approximately SEK 3 billion.
For this reason, efforts are being made to
improve the Nobel Foundation’s capital in the
long-term. In June 2012, the Nobel Foundation’s
Board of Directors decided to reduce the prize
money awarded per prize from SEK 10 million
to 8 million. The Foundation’s other expenses
will also be reduced by approximately 20 per
cent over the next few years. In order to improve
asset management, an investment committee that includes external experts and that has
decision-making power has been established.
Nonetheless, work to maintain the status of
the Nobel Prize involves more than this alone.
The trademarks linked to the Nobel Prize must
be both maintained and carefully developed.
This is a task for the entire Nobel Sphere,
which today also includes new organisations
set up to both disseminate information and
knowledge about the Nobel Prize and to encourage efforts made in the spirit of the Prize.
Among these institutions are Nobel Media AB
and Nobelmuseet AB in Stockholm, as well as
Stiftelsen Nobels Fredssenter and Nobels Fredspriskonsert AS in Oslo.
While these institutions are very important
in Sweden and Norway, they already today
reach a far greater, international audience, far
beyond the Nordic region, thanks to channels
like the Nobelprize.org website, touring exhibitions and various kinds of TV programmes. Our
task now is to develop new projects characterised by the same ambitions and to adapt existing
institutions so that we can reach yet more
people around the world in an effective way.
Achieving this aim will require new partnerships
with both the public and private sectors in Sweden and abroad. If we take on these challenges
in the right way, then I am convinced that we
will also contribute to a more stable financial
foundation for the Nobel Sphere’s activities.
In conclusion, I would like to highlight the
fact that, after many years of consideration and
shelved plans, during this past year we have
finally come to an agreement with the City of
Stockholm to build a permanent Nobel Prize
Center at Blasieholmen. The Center will serve
as a meeting place in the spirit of the Nobel Prize as well as a hub for our international work,
which continues to grow and expand. It will be
both an important base for our activities and
the home the Nobel Prize has long deserved. At
the same time, it will also be a fantastic asset
for Stockholm’s citizens and for those who visit
us from afar.
Lars Heikensten
Executive Director
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content
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Alfred Nobel
– The Man Behind the Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prize
– An Interdisciplinary Prize
The 2011 Nobel Laureates
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A New Home for the Nobel Prize
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Nobel Laureates Inspire Youths
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An Idea Can Make a Difference!
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Heroes of Peace in Focus
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A Word from the Executive Director
Popular Concert Celebrating
Peace Prize Laureates
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The Organisational Structure of the Nobel Prize
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Institutions Selecting the Nobel Laureates
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The Nobel Foundation
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Nobel Foundation Rights Association
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Nobel Media AB
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Nobelmuseet AB
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Stiftelsen Nobels Fredssenter
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Nobelhuset AB
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Nobels Fredspriskonsert AS
The idea of ​​this new annual review is to provide a comprehensive picture
of the Nobel Sphere as a whole. For additional, and more detailed
information, please see the 2011 annual report of the Nobel Foundation
and each organisation’s own annual report.
3
“If I have 300
ideas in a single
year, and only one
is of use, then I’m
satisfied.”
Alfred Nobel
A young Alfred Nobel.
The blasting cap was revolutionary
in the field of explosives.
The dynamite – the most well
Alfred in
San Remo.
Björkborn Manor in Karlskoga.
4
known of Alfred’s inventions.
All photos: © The Nobel Foundation, Bust of Alfred Nobel: © The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Hans Mehlin
alfred nobel
The Man Behind the Nobel Prize
Alfred Nobel was both an inventor and entrepreneur and also a
very successful businessman, continually travelling between his
factories. To many people’s surprise, he left a large part of his
fortune for a prize that would reward significant efforts within
the different fields that interested him most during his life.
Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm in 1833.
His father Immanuel was an inventor and
engineer and his mother Andriette came from
a wealthy family. When his father’s company
went bankrupt, his father moved to Russia and
found success within war industry. In 1842 the
rest of the family followed and Alfred and his
brothers received a first-class education from
private tutors. At 17 years of age, Alfred spoke
five languages: Swedish, Russian, English,
French and German.
At the time, he was interested in poetry
and wrote his own prose. His father disliked
Alfred’s interest in literature and sent him abroad to study with more of a focus on the natural
sciences. He visited a number of countries
and finally ended up in Paris where he studied
chemistry under Professor T. J. Pelouze. Here,
Alfred came into contact with nitroglycerin,
which had been invented by the Italian Ascanio
Sobrero. This was a highly explosive liquid that
was considered far too dangerous to be useful.
Alfred Nobel returned to Sweden and soon
began experimenting with nitroglycerin. These
experiments were dangerous and led to several
fatal accidents. In one of these, Alfred’s younger brother Emil was killed. Alfred Nobel was
finally able to solve the problem with the highly
explosive nitroglycerin by mixing it with a type
of sand; kiselguhr. The result was a formable
mass, which was easier to handle and package
and which could be shipped and handled safely.
This was patented in 1867 under the name
dynamite. With the patenting of different forms
of dynamite together with the detonator or
blasting cap, which he had invented previously,
Alfred Nobel achieved his major technical and
industrial breakthroughs.
Alfred Nobel led a fast-paced exploitation of his inventions and built factories and
laboratories around the world – Vinterviken in
Sweden, Krümmel in Germany and Ardeer in
Scotland were some of the first. He eventually
built just over 90 factories in 20 countries. His
brothers Robert and Ludvig stayed in Russia,
where they continued developing their father’s
manufacturing industries and successfully developed oil fields in Baku in Azerbaijan.
Alfred’s life primarily consisted of work
and travel and he never formed a family.
Health problems, religious doubts and loneliness marked his private life. He had homes
in Paris, San Remo, Scotland and other places
and Alfred’s last Swedish home was Björkborn
Manor in Karlskoga. At his death, he had 355
patents and left behind an enormous fortune.
Alfred Nobel was a man of his time, embodying many of the Enlightenment’s main ideas,
both in his practical work and in his philosophy.
He wove his religious doubt with a belief in the
natural sciences, he was a true optimist about
technology and an entrepreneur who actively
took part in the industrialisation process.
Alfred Nobel died on 10 December 1896
in his home in San Remo, Italy, and his will
attracted significant attention when it was
published. He had given most of his fortune
for the use of awarding major efforts within
physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine,
literature and peace. The will was challenged
by relatives, by authorities in several countries
and by Swedish King Oscar II.
A long journey began to realise Alfred
Nobel’s vision. After a few years of complicated
legal processes, led by the executors of the will
Ragnar Sohlman and Rudolf Lilljequist, the
Nobel Foundation was formed in 1900 and the
next year the first Nobel Prizes were awarded.
Alfred Nobel was buried at Norra Begravningsplatsen, just outside of Stockholm.
5
The Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in Stockholm 2011.
“… to those who,
during the preceding
year, shall have
conferred the greatest
benefit to mankind
… whether he be a
Scandinavian or not”.
The first Nobel Prize Award
©
® The Nobel Foundation
Ceremony took place at the Royal
Swedish Academy of Music.
The Nobel Peace Prize Award
Ceremony in Oslo 2011.
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®
Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in Stockholm: © The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Frida Westholm, Nobel Prize Award Ceremony 1901: © The Nobel Foundation, The Nobel Diploma: © The Nobel Foundation, Artist: John Stenborg, Calligraphy: Annika Rücker , Photo: Lovisa Engblom,
The Nobel Medals:©
Nobelstiftelsen, Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony in Oslo: © The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Ken Opprann
the nobel prize
An Interdisciplinary Prize
When Alfred Nobel’s will was read, it caused something of a
sensation and was widely reported on in international media
and debated extensively. It stated that his fortune was to
be used as an endowment, the interest on which would be
awarded “… to those who, during the preceding year, shall
have conferred the greatest benefit to mankind … whether he
be a Scandinavian or not”.
In accordance with Alfred Nobel’s wishes,
five Nobel Prizes were established: in physics,
chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature
and peace. These five categories are a unique
mix of disciplines. They make the Nobel Prize
an interdisciplinary prize and reflect both
Alfred Nobel as a person and the interests and
activities that engaged him during his lifetime.
His will clearly stated that no regard should
be given to the recipient’s nationality, a condition that was widely debated in Sweden, which
at the time was strongly marked by nationalist
sentiment. Nobel’s will also specified the prizeawarding institutions: the Royal Academy of
Sciences would select the Laureates in Physics
and Chemistry, Karolinska Institutet would
be responsible for the prize in Physiology or
Medicine, the Swedish Academy would oversee
the prize in Literature and a committee selected
by the Norwegian Parliament (Storting) in Oslo
would select Peace Prize Laureates.
The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic
Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel was
established in 1968, on the occasion of the
Riksbank’s (Sweden’s central bank) 300th
anniversary. The first prize was awarded the
following year. The Nobel Foundation then
made a decision in principle not to establish
any additional prizes. The Royal Academy of
Sciences is responsible for selecting Economic
Sciences Laureates, though it is the Riksbank
that funds the prize.
The reason why Alfred Nobel decided that
the Peace Prize should be awarded in Norway
and that the committee should be elected by
the Norwegian Parliament (Storting) is not
specified in his will, nor is it mentioned in any
other document. Nobel may have taken into
consideration the fact that Sweden was unified
with Norway at the time and that one of the
prize-awarding institutions should therefore
be based there. He may also have believed that
Norway was better positioned to nominate
Nobel Laureates. Norway did not have the
same military traditions and strong links to
the Royal Court as Sweden and at the close of
the 19th century, the Norwegian Parliament
(Storting) was also strongly committed to the
Inter-parliamentary Union and its work in support of conflict resolution.
Over the years, the Nobel Prize has acquired a unique standing for a number of reasons.
One is that it is considered to be the first ever
international prize, in as much as Nobel’s will
directs that no regard be given to nationality in
the selection of Laureates. Another is that the
prize money awarded has often been substantial. But most important is the prize-awarding
institutions’ work to select Laureates – a task
which is performed with the highest level of
expertise and thoroughness.
At most, three Laureates may share any
one Nobel Prize and each receives their share
of the prize money, a diploma and a medal.
The Nobel Prize Medals for physics, chemistry,
physiology or medicine and literature were
created by engraver Erik Lindberg. Norwegian
sculptor Gustav Vigeland fashioned the Peace
Prize Medal, while the Economics Prize Medal
was designed by Gunvor Svensson-Lundqvist.
All Laureates are invited to Stockholm and
Oslo, respectively, to give a Nobel Lecture and
to receive the prize. Since 1901, 853 Laureates
have been selected, of which 830 were individuals and 23 were organisations.
7
The 2011 Nobel Laureates at their visit to the Nobel Foundation.
Jules Hoffmann at the Concert Hall
in Stockholm.
The Nobel Peace Prize Laureates at the Oslo City Hall.
Tomas Tranströmer – the
first Swedish Nobel Laureate
in Literature since 1974.
Physics Laureate Saul
Perlmutter with his
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family on stage, right after
the Nobel Prize Award
Ceremony.
Porträttbilder: © Nobelstiftelsen, Foto: Ulla Montan, Porträttbilder Fredspristagarna: © Nobelstiftelsen, Foto: Ken Opprann, Porträttbild Steinman: Foto: Zach Veilleux/Rockefeller University, Gruppbild: © Nobelstiftelsen, Foto: Orasis, Fredspristagarna på scen: © Nobelstiftelsen, Foto: Ken
Opprann, Hoffmann: © The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Frida Westholm, Tranströmer: © The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Lina Göransson, Perlmutter: © The Nobel Foundation, photo: Lina Göransson
the 2011 nobel laureates
the nobel prize in physics
was awarded with one half to
1959, University of California, USA
and the other half jointly to
Brian P. Schmidt, born 1967, Australian National University, Australia and
Adam G. Riess, born 1969, Johns Hopkins University and Space T
­ elescope
Science Institute, USA
Saul Perlmutter , born
the nobel prize
in chemistry
was awarded to
Dan Shechtman, born 1941, T
­ echnion
– Israel Institute of T
­ echnology, Israel
“for the discovery of quasicrystals.”
“for the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe through
observations of distant supernovae”.
the nobel prize in in physiology
or medicine
the nobel prize
in literature
was awarded with one half jointly to
Bruce A. Beutler, born 1957, University of Texas Southwestern Medical
Center at Dallas, USA and
Jules A. Hoffmann, born 1941, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche
Scientifique/National Center for Scientific Research), France
was awarded to
“for their discoveries concerning the activation of innate immunity”,
Tomas Tranströmer, born
Sweden
1931,
“because, through his condensed,
translucent images, he gives us fresh
access to reality.”
and the other half to
Ralph M. Steinman,
USA
born 1943, deceased 2011, Rockefeller University,
“for his discovery of the dendritic cell and its role in adaptive immunity.”
the nobel peace prize
was awarded jointly to
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, born 1938, President
Leymah Gbowee, born 1972, Liberia and
Tawakkol Karman, born 1979, Yemen
of Liberia and
“for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s
rights to full participation in peace-building work.”
the sveriges
riksbank prize in
economic sciences
in memory of
alfred nobel
was awarded jointly to
Thomas J. Sargent, born 1943,
New York University, USA and
Christopher A. Sims, born 1942,
­Princeton University, USA
“for their empirical research on cause
and effect in the macroeconomy.”
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The selected site on Blasieholmen in
central Stockholm.
Sten Nordin (M), Mayor
of Stockholm, at the press
conference in December.
Ferdinand Boberg’s proposal from 1911.
10
Boberg drawing: © The Nobel Foundation, Press Conference: © The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Orasis, Blasieholmen: Photo: Jeppe Wikström
a new home for
the nobel prize
The century-old dream of a permanent home for the Nobel
Prize in Stockholm finally looks set to become a reality.
In December 2011 the City of Stockholm and the Nobel
Foundation signed a letter of intent to jointly work towards
establishing a Nobel Prize Center at Blasieholmen.
As far back as the time of the Nobel Prize’s
establishment, there were plans to build a grand
structure that would accommodate activities
related to the prize. In 1907 the Nobel Foundation bought a plot at the end of Strandvägen
and commissioned architect Ferdinand Boberg
to produce drawings for a building that would
house a large auditorium, banquet hall and
offices. His bold proposal attracted considerable attention when it was exhibited in 1911.
­Doubts voiced by critics, the outbreak of the
First World War and the ongoing construction
of the Stockholm Concert Hall and City Hall
led the Nobel Foundation to abandone the
project. In­stead, in 1918 the Foundation bought
a property at Sturegatan 14 to house its offices.
A century later, in the lead-up to the centennial of the Nobel Prize in 2001, discussion once
again turned to finding a new home for the
Nobel Prize. Starting in 1996, a number of proposals for the location of a permanent Nobel
Prize Center in Stockholm were examined.
While waiting for a permanent solution, the
Nobel Museum opened in 2001 with a centennial exhibition entitled Cultures of Creativity at
a temporary venue in the old Stock Exchange
building in the Old Town, Stockholm, a facility
it continues to use.
Since the summer of 2011, the Nobel Foundation and the City of Stockholm have refocused
their efforts on establishing a permanent Nobel
Prize Center in Stockholm. After an extensive
survey of potential sites, a city-owned property
was chosen at Blasieholmen, facing Nybroviken
and adjoining Nationalmuseum. In December
2011 the City of Stockholm and the Nobel
Foundation signed a letter of intent to jointly
work towards establishing a Nobel Prize Center.
The center will feature an expanded Nobel
Museum with exhibitions, a research department, a library, an auditorium, conference
rooms, a shop and a restaurant. The center will
also house the Nobel Foundation, the media
company Nobel Media AB and, potentially,
other related scientific institutions.
The Nobel Museum and Nobel Media will
be responsible for the content of the Nobel
Prize Center’s public activities. This means
that the center will need to be a modern and
flexible platform for exhibitions and programmes and for the production of digital media. A
visit to the future Nobel Prize Center should be
a memorable experience for people of all ages
and with diverse backgrounds and nationalities. It should be a place for interdisciplinary
meetings, inspiration and encouragement, as
well as for reflection.
Ultimately, in the long-term the center
should serve as the hub for efforts to spread
knowledge about the Nobel Prize and Nobel
Laureates around the world. The center will
also serve as a meeting place for international
seminars, symposia and various forms of public
events.
Since early 2012, extensive work on the
project has been ongoing in the form of conceptual programmes and local programmes. These
efforts will provide the basis for an international architectural competition implemented in
two stages during 2013, provided that financing is secured. After reviewing the competition
entries and cost estimates, project planning will
begin with the aim of starting construction in
2015. Based on this preliminary schedule, a
Nobel Prize Center should be ready for inauguration in December 2018.
The cost of the entire project is estimated
at approximately one billion Swedish kronor.
The ambition is to fund the building with
donations, while the future operating budget
and development efforts partly will be covered
by long-term state and municipal funding. Both
the building and the future operation of the
center must be funded using external resources,
since the Nobel Foundation’s capital cannot be
used for this purpose.
From 2012, the project has operated as
the limited liability company Nobelhuset AB,
which is owned by the Nobel Foundation
Rights Association.
11
Medicine Laureate Barry Marshall meets students i Beijing.
“It’s really fascinating to be able to
attend these meetings and see how
scientists and students are inspired
and motivated by the
stories of the Nobel Laureates.”
Lecture by Barry Marshall.
A discussion with Medicine Laureate
Michael Brown, far left.
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Marshall: © Nobel Media AB, Photo: Daniel Burke, Brown: Nobel Media/AstraZeneca , Photo: Wayne Zhou
nobel laureates
inspire youths
A number of international lecture events are organised each
year within the framework of Nobel Media’s operations.
Students and researchers can attest to these inspiring meetings
with Nobel Laureates, who generously share their stories and
experiences.
In 2011, a collaboration between Nobel Media
and AstraZeneca entitled AstraZeneca Nobel
Medicine Initiative resulted in two lecture
events with Nobel Laureates.
The goal of the initiative is to share information about and generate interest in Nobel
Laureates’ research. Their discoveries have
often had a great impact on medical science and
on our understanding of the way the human
body works. At lectures held at universities
around the world, Nobel Laureates describe
their work and how they achieved the research
results that eventually led to a Nobel Prize. At
smaller meetings held in conjunction with the
lectures, students also have the opportunity to
pose questions directly to the Nobel Laureates,
who are happy to share their experiences and
offer advice. These lectures are filmed and then
uploaded to Nobelprize.org, thereby reaching
a broad international audience. In addition,
educational materials and video documentaries
produced as part of this collaboration are also
made available at Nobelprize.org.
“It’s really fascinating to be able to attend
these meetings and see how scientists and
students are inspired and motivated by the
stories of the Nobel Laureates,” says Camilla
Hyltén-Cavallius, CEO of Nobel Media AB.
“For young people who have chosen to pursue
research, it is especially valuable to meet role
models who encourage an innovative and often
playful approach to scientific work.”
In 2011, Michael Brown lectured at the
University of Pennsylvania and AstraZeneca’s
research development facility in Wilmington,
USA. Together with Joseph L. Goldstein,
Michael Brown received the 1985 Nobel Prize
in Physiology or Medicine. Brown, who has
now collaborated with Goldstein for 39 years,
strongly emphasised the importance of collaboration in successful research. His lecture was
entitled Partnerships, Puzzles and Paradigms: A
Collaborative Approach to Cholesterol.
Barry Marshall gave a lecture at Fudan
University in Shanghai, at Peking University
in Beijing and at the AstraZeneca China
Research and Development Centre. Together
with J. Robin Warren, Marshall received the
2005 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
­Marshall told the amazing story of how he
drank the ulcer bacterium Helicobacter pylori
in order to prove the unexpected discovery that
earned him and Warren a Nobel Prize; that
ulcers are caused by a bacterium and can there­
fore be treated using antibiotics. His lecture
was entitled The Road to the Nobel Prize:
­Lessons from a Life with Helicobacter Pylori.
13
Åsa Sundelin and Åsa Husberg, engaged in the educational
activities at the Nobel Museum.
Alfred’s suitcase – which accompanied
him on travels across the
world.
14
“The pupils’ task
was to look for new
bacteria.”
All photos: © The Nobel Museum AB
an idea can make
a difference!
Despite the limited space available in the Stock Exchange building
in Stockholm where the Nobel Museum is housed, its operations
have grown steadily. Today, the museum is reaching new and
growing audiences throughout Sweden and around the world.
with akka through sweden
Since it opened in 2001, school classes have
visited the museum and interest has grown
with every year. Demand eventually became
so great that the museum was forced to limit
the number of classes it received due to lack
of space. To address this growing demand, the
Nobel Museum began visiting schools instead.
The Akka project takes its name from Selma
Lagerlöf’s goose in her book The Wonderful
Adventures of Nils Holgersson. Since 2010,
staff from the Nobel Museum travel throughout Sweden conducting school programmes.
Currently, the school programme has two themes. Project manager Tobias Degsell explains:
“In The Secret of the Nobel Bag, which is
intended for pre-schoolers up to grade 3, the
children travel through time. Together, they
travel back to the 1800s and learn more about
Alfred Nobel. In An Idea Can Make a Difference!, which is aimed at pupils in grades 7-9,
pupils attend a workshop based on coming up
with new ideas and then implementing them.
Based on the Nobel Prize, we then look more
closely at innovations and entrepreneurship.”
In 2012, the Akka project will enter a new
phase.
“We have partnered with various science
centres in Sweden so as to reach even more
pupils,” says Degsell. “We have also developed
supplementary material for An Idea Can Make
a Difference! to help teachers to work with
innovations, entrepreneurship and diversity in
their classes. The goal is to expand from 2,500
to 15,000 pupils in three years!”
schools project in uganda
The perception that ideas can change the world
is a lodestar in the activities of the Nobel Museum. This is also true of the project entitled
Make a Difference – Ways to the Nobel Prize.
The project is a collaborative effort with the
organisation Social Initiative and consists of a
small exhibition and material for teachers and
pupils.
“The project targets poor children in
countries where schooling is not a given. The
project’s first stop was a girls’ school in Kibaale
in western Uganda. The girls were handpicked
from poor villages. The school, the Uganda
Rural Development Training Programme
(URDT), gives the girls an education that is
both practical and theoretical. The idea is that
after their education, the girls can influence
and change the lives of their fellow villagers,”
says Carin Klaesson, who is responsible for the
Nobel Museum children’s programmes.
In March 2012 Nobel Museum staff travelled to the school to set up the exhibition and
work with the material together with pupils
and teachers. After a joint evaluation with the
school, the Nobel Museum plans to visit more
schools in Africa.
in search of new medicines
What is research? How is research conducted?
And is it really fun to do research? In 2011, the
Nobel Museum began the project Forskarhjälpen (Research Aid). The purpose of this project
is to give pupils and teachers the opportunity
to participate in and experience a real research
project up close. This will give them a better
understanding of what research involves, at the
same time as their efforts contribute to vital
research. The Hunt for Medicine – in Fleming’s
Footsteps was the first of three projects within
Forskarhjälpen’s framework. The 2011 project
was a collaboration between the Nobel Museum and the Laboratory for Chemical Biology, a
research unit at Umeå University in Sweden.
“The pupils’ task was to look for new
bacteria. The goal was to help researchers find
new antibiotics, which, in turn, is an important
part in the fight against bacterial infections in
humans and animals,” says the Nobel Museum’s
Head of Research, Katarina Nordqvist.
As part of their project, the pupils took soil
samples. They then put together their findings in
a poster that was published on the Forskarhjälpen website and was displayed at a concluding
conference at the Nobel Museum in December
2011. The Forskarhjälpen project is headed
up by the Nobel Museum and is funded by
the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research
(SSF). The goal is to conduct three different
Forskarhjälpen projects within three years.
15
The Peace Laureates are celebrated
with a torchlight procession outside
Grand Hotel in Oslo.
“During demonstrations in Tawakkol
Karman’s homeland of Yemen, many
female protesters painted colourful
political messages on their hands.”
Exciting new technology allows
interaction with visitors.
The Director of the Nobel Peace
Center Bente Erichsen together with
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
16
Tawakkol Karman at the tent
from the Tarhir Square.
Grand Hotel: © The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Ken Opprann, all other photos: Charlotte van Nexmark/Nobel Peace Center
heroes of peace
in focus
The Sheroes exhibition opened at the Nobel Peace Center
on 11 December 2011 with all three Peace Prize Laureates
in attendance. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and
Tawakkol Karman were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for
their “non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for
women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work”.
fridtjof nansen, 150 years
In 2011 the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo
celebrated the 150th anniversary of the birth
of Norwegian Peace Prize Laureate Fridtjof
Nansen. A photography exhibition on display
at the Center, entitled Transit, told the story of
Nansen’s humanitarian efforts in support of
prisoners of war and refugees, for which he was
awarded the Peace Prize in 1922. The exhibition also depicted the difficulties of refugees
today – 100 years later – through the work of
prize-winning photographer Espen Rasmussen.
In 2011, over 43 million people were estimated to be living as refugees. Rasmussen has
met with refugees in countries like Afghanistan,
Colombia, Georgia, Yemen, Syria and Norway
and has portrayed their everyday lives through
photographs and short films.
Fridtjof Nansen also took photographs
when he met refugees out in the field and
a number of these images were included in
the exhibition. Nansen was a pioneer within
humanitarian aid work, arranging large-scale
campaigns to collect food and other necessities
in order to help refugees. For many, his name
is associated with the “Nansen Passport” – an
identification and travel document issued by the
League of Nations that helped many who had
been rendered stateless and who had fled their
homelands during the First World War.
The Center’s main exhibition was complemented by an inspiring and interactive exhibition for children called Nansen and I.
“The Nobel Peace Center’s aim has been
to make Nansen’s name known among a
new generation. Over the course of Nansen–
Amundsen Year 2011, almost 10,000 students
carried out project worked linked to two
exhibitions,” explains the Center’s Executive
Director, Bente Erichsen.
celebrating female heroes
Soon after the announcement in October of the
Nobel Peace Prize, intensive work begins at the
Nobel Peace Center. In just two months, the
Center creates an exhibition about the year’s
Peace Prize Laureates, which opens during the
Nobel Days in Oslo in December. Norwegian
photographer Espen Rasmussen accompanied
the three Peace Prize Laureates during several
hectic days in November before they arrived in Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rasmussen’s unique series of photographs
became the core of this year’s exhibition, entitled Sheroes. The series includes photography,
video and audio clips.
During demonstrations in Tawakkol
Karman’s homeland of Yemen, many female
protesters painted colourful political messages
on their hands. These protesters inspired an
interactive module within the exhibition that
gave visitors the opportunity to paint on their
hands. The results were photographed and the
images were then displayed as part of the exhibition. Another unique feature of the exhibition
was Tawakkol Karman’s tent, which she has
used as her base in Tahrir Square, Yemen for
almost a year.
The annual exhibition about the Peace Prize
Laureates opens every year on 11 December,
the day after the Peace Prize is awarded. Sheroes will remain open until 27 November 2012.
17
The Laureates joined the artists on
stage at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert.
“The performing artists included
­Angelique Kidjo, Ellie Goulding,
David Gray, World Youth Choir
and Evanescence.”
18
The concert: © The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Ken Opprann
popular concert
celebrates peace
prize laureates
The Nobel Peace Prize Concert is a musical tribute to this
year’s Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, held annually at the Oslo
Spektrum arena. The concert has been held since 1994 and
attracts a large audience each year. Unlike the classical music
concert held during the Nobel Week in Stockholm, this concert
focuses on popular music.
Artists from around the world gather on
11 December, the day after the Nobel Peace
Prize Award Ceremony, to perform before an
audience of 6,000 people at Oslo Spektrum. In
addition, 500-600 million viewers are reached
by an international TV broadcast of the concert. This year, all three Peace Prize Laureates
attended: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman.
The aim of the concert is to celebrate the
Peace Prize Laureates and to spread their message of peace. With popular music and world
famous artists the concert has the potential
to attract audiences who may not reached by
other programs related to the Nobel Prize. At
most, TV broadcasts from this concert has been
shown in nearly 120 countries.
The performing artists included Ellie
Goulding, David Gray, World Youth Choir
and Evanescence. Previous performers have
included Herbie Hancock, Lionel Richie, Gladys Knight, Rihanna, Paul McCartney, Robyn,
Diana Ross, Bryan Ferry, Andrea Bocelli and
Willie Nelson.
Each year, the Nobel Peace Prize Concert is
hosted by two international celebrities. Helen
Mirren and Rosario Dawson were the most
recent duo to host the concert. Previous hosts
have included Oprah Winfrey, Kevin Spacey,
Michael Caine, Will Smith and Anne Hathaway. The Norwegian Radio Orchestra (Kringkastingsorkestret, KORK) also participates
each year.
In 2011, the Nobel Peace Prize Concert
launched a new logo and a new website:
www.nobelpeaceprizeconcert.no. The site includes information, history and video clips from a
host of performances.
19
the organisational
structure of
the nobel prize
The Nobel Prize is surrounded by several organisations and
institutions with different tasks related to the prize. Over the past
decade, the organisational structure has grown, particularly in areas
tasked with spreading information about the Nobel Prize.
who finances
the nobel prize?
who selects the
nobel laureates?
spreading
information
The Nobel Prize is financed by the
Nobel Foundation, a private institution
established in 1900 based on the will
of Alfred Nobel.
The main task of the
Nobel ­Foundation is thus to
manage the assets made available
through the will and the significant
intellectual property related to the
Nobel Prize that has developed over
the years. The ­Foundation finances
the prize-awarding institutions’ work
to select Nobel Laureates and also
provides the prize money. The Nobel
Foundation does not have the right or
mandate to influence the nomination
and selection procedures for Nobel
Laureates.
The process of independently and
expertly selecting Nobel Laureates,
in accordance with Alfred Nobel’s
intentions, is exclusively handled by
the Nobel Prize awarding institutions
named in his will:
The Nobel sphere also includes a
number of externally financed units
with the primary task of disseminating information about the Nobel
Prize and inspiring people around
the world through the stories of the
Nobel Laureates. The non-profit Nobel
Foundation Rights Association serves
as an umbrella organisation for the
following units:
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences – the Nobel Prize in Physics and
Chemistry and Sveriges Riksbank Prize
in Economic Sciences in Memory of
Alfred Nobel
The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska
– the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Institutet
The Swedish Academy
– the Nobel
Prize in Literature
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, a committee of five persons appointed
by the Norwegian Parliament
­(Storting) – the Nobel Peace Prize
Read more about the prize-awarding
institutions and how they select Nobel
Laureates on p. 22.
Nobel Media AB,
Stockholm
Nobel Museum AB,
Nobelhuset AB,
Stockholm
Stockholm
Nobels Fredspriskonsert AS,
Oslo
Stiftelsen Nobels Fredssenter,
Oslo
The companies within the Nobel
sphere have no influence over or access
to the nomination or selection procedures connected with the Nobel Prize.
Only after the public announcement of
the Nobel Laureates can these companies begin spreading information about
each year’s Laureates.
financing of informational activities
The companies Nobelmuseet AB,
Nobel Media AB and Nobelhuset AB
in Stockholm and Stiftelsen Nobels
Fredssenter and Nobels Fredspriskonsert AS in Oslo are all externally financed, e.g. via subsidies from state or
local governments, corporate sponsors,
educational organisations and philanthropic entities.
20
“The on-going development of our
international information campaign
is necessary in order to safeguard the
Nobel Prize’s position and spread its
message to a global audience. There
are also good reasons for promoting
efforts that are in harmony with the
spirit of the Nobel Prize and that
encourage creativity and innovation,
thereby contributing to solutions to
major current and future challenges.
The support these companies receive
through their respective sponsors is
essential for conducting and expanding
their efforts,” says Lars Heikensten,
Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation.
the organisational structure in may 2012
Nobel
­Foundation
Nobel­ foundation rights association
Nobel Peace
Center
Foundation
Nobel
Museum AB
Nobel
media ab
Nobelhuset ab
nobels
fredspriskonsert as
The Nobel Foundation approves the composition of the boards of the Nobel Foundation Rights Association and Stiftelsen Nobels Fredssenter.
The Nobel Foundation Rights Association owns the limited liability companies and also serves as an umbrella organisation for Stiftelsen Nobels
Fredssenter.
21
institutions selecting
the nobel laureates
I
n his will, Alfred Nobel stipulated
which institutions should select
Nobel Laureates in each prize category. He probably chose the academic
institutions that he considered to be
best suited to the task. Alfred Nobel
was less specific regarding the organisation that was to manage his assets.
What would eventually become the
Nobel Foundation was only mentioned
in his will as “a fund”.
The Nobel Prize’s unique international standing depends largely on
the century-long, independent work
of the prize-awarding institutions in
selecting Nobel Laureates. The fact
that these organisations have engaged
knowledgeable individuals within their
own organisations, as well as extensive
international expertise has played a vital
role in achieving this standing.
the prize-awarding
institutions
The Royal Swedish Academy of
Sciences selects the Nobel Laureates
in Physics and Chemistry. The Royal
Swedish Academy of Sciences also
selects the recipient(s) of the Sveriges
Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences
in Memory of Alfred Nobel, established in 1968 on the occasion of the
Riksbank’s (Sweden’s central bank)
300th anniversary. The Academy
has approximately 420 Swedish and
approximately 175 foreign members.
The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska
Institutet selects the Nobel Laureates in
Physiology or Medicine. The Assembly
has 50 members.
The Swedish Academy selects
Nobel Laureates in Literature. The
Academy has 18 members.
All of these institutions appoint
special Nobel Committees of three to
five members, a secretary and (in some
cases) also deputies. Members are elected
for a term of three years and may sit for
a maximum of three consecutive terms.
The Nobel Committees evaluate
nominations for the respective Nobel Prizes and conduct extensive deliberations
concerning a selection of these nominees.
The Nobel Committees subsequently
present their proposals for Nobel Laureates to their respective prize-awarding
institutions. As such, the actual decision
as to who will be awarded a Nobel Prize
is not made by the respective Nobel
Committee, but by all members of the
prize-awarding institution.
Concerning the Peace Prize, Alfred
Nobel assigned the Storting (national
parliament) in Norway as the prizeawarding institution. The Storting
appoints the five members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The Norwegian Nobel Committee differs from
the other prize-awarding institutions
in as much as it is responsible both for
assessing the nominees and selecting
the final recipient(s).
extensive process
In September of each year the respective Nobel Committees send out
individual invitations to thousands of
members of academies, university professors and other scientists in numerous countries, previous Laureates,
members of parliamentary assemblies
and others. The recipients are chosen
in such a way so as to ensure that as
many countries and universities as
possible are represented over time.
Those who receive an invitation have
the opportunity to nominate Nobel
Prize candidates for the coming year.
Nominations, which are confidential,
must be received by the Committees
no later than 31 January of the year in
which the prize will be awarded.
The procedures may vary somewhat
between the Nobel Committees, but the
selection process is largely similar for all
prize categories. The Committees first
confirm that the nominations have been
submitted by individuals who have the
right to nominate. Since a nomination is
only valid for the current year, it is common for some candidates to be nominated several times. Some candidates may
also be nominated by more than one
person in the same year. Nominations
are recorded and compiled in a list. This
list is processed in a series of phases
during the spring. Initially, it consists of
a large selection of names, which is then
gradually narrowed down to a smaller
number of candidates. These candidates are then evaluated in depth with
the assistance of domestic and foreign
experts. During the summer the Nobel
Committee members produce a comprehensive report detailing the candidate
or candidates proposed as Laureates for
the year’s Nobel Prizes. Proposals are
presented to the members of the prizeawarding institutions in September.
The final selection of Nobel Laureates
is conducted by means of a vote. The
final decisions are announced by the
respective prize-awarding institutions
immediately after voting, usually during
the first half of October.
According to the Nobel
Foundation’s statutes, prizes can be
equally shared between two works,
though by not more than three individuals. All documents related to the
nomination process and evaluations
are kept confidential for 50 years.
More information about the prize-awarding
institutions is available on their respective websites:
www.kva.se
www.nobelprizemedicine.org
www.svenskaakademien.se
www.nobelpeaceprize.org
selecting nobel laureates
Nomination
forms are
sent out
september
22
Deadline for
submissions
Committee submits
recommendations
Consultation with experts
Writing of the report
31 januaryFebruary–august
Nobel Prize
Award Ceremony
Nobel Laureates
are chosen AND ANNOUNCED
september
oktober
10 december
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences – at Frescati, in the northwest parts of Stockholm.
Nobel Forum – where the Nobel
Assembly at Karolinska Institutet holds
their meetings.
The Norwegian Nobel Institute – in central Oslo.
In his will , Alfred Nobel stipulated which
institutions should select Nobel Laureates in each
prize category.
The Swedish Academy – at Stortorget in the Old Town.
23
the nobel foundation
T
he Nobel Foundation is a
private institution established
in 1900 based on the will of
Alfred Nobel and the founding statutes
promulgated in connection with the
will. One central task of the Foundation is to manage Alfred Nobel’s
fortune. The Foundation is to manage
Nobel’s assets in such a manner that
ensures a secure financial standing
for the Nobel Prize in the long-term,
as well as the independence of the
prize-awarding institutions in their
work of selecting Laureates. The Nobel
Foundation also manages the intellectual property assets that have developed over the more than one hundred
years that the Nobel Prize has been
awarded. The Nobel Foundation also
strives to safeguard the prize-awarding
institutions’ common interests and to
represent the Nobel sphere.
The Nobel Foundation’s work
intensifies during the autumn in connection with the Nobel Week that takes
place in Stockholm in December. This is
a week that includes a busy schedule for
Nobel Laureates and that culminates in
the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony and
the Nobel Banquet held on December
10. Both of these events are planned
and carried out by the Foundation.
The Nobel Foundation is also
responsible for the publication of the
Nobel Lectures on Nobelprize.org, the
official website of the Nobel Prize, and
administering and funding the Nobel
Symposia within each prize category.
Two Nobel Symposia were held in
2011: Twenty Years of International
Relations, which was held in Lofoten,
Norway; and Machines, Molecules
and Mind, which was held at SångaSäby near Stockholm in Sweden. This
last symposium was more extensive in
nature – an Alfred Nobel Symposium –
involving all the scientific Nobel Prize
categories. The symposium focused on
the brain and its functions. A number
of prominent international speakers
participated.
finances
The Nobel Prize was the first international award and was well known from
the outset thanks to its size. In 1901
the prize money amounted to nearly
24
twenty times the annual salary of a university professor. Although the Nobel
Prize’s nominal value did not change
significantly during its first 80 years,
its actual value fell dramatically. Alfred
Nobel’s instructions – that his assets be
invested in safe securities, interpreted as
government bonds – along with inflation and an increasing tax burden, led
to a rapid erosion of the capital and the
prize money. It was not until 1991 that
the Nobel Prize regained its original
value thanks to tax exemptions, changes to investment regulations and active
asset management.
The market value of the Nobel
Foundation’s total invested capital
amounted to SEK 2.973 billion at the
end of 2011. Investment capital is
distributed as 47 per cent equities, 20
per cent fixed-income assets and 33 per
cent alternative assets. The total cost for
all Nobel Prizes and operating expenses
was about SEK 120 million. This was
divided among three main categories:
the prizes and compensation paid to
the prize-awarding institutions (nearly
SEK 80 million); the Nobel Week in
Stockholm and the Nobel Days in Oslo
(about SEK 20 million); and administration, the Nobel Symposia, etc. (about
SEK 20 million). Additional information about the Nobel Foundation’s
financial management is available in the
Foundation’s annual report for 2011.
operations in oslo
The Norwegian Nobel Institute was
established in 1904 and serves as
the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s
Secretariat and the Nobel Foundation’s
representative in Oslo. The institute
administers the activities related to the
awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize,
such as the prize ceremony and the
banquet. It is located at Henrik Ibsens
gate 51 in Oslo. Here, the Norwegian
Nobel Committee has a special meeting
room and its secretary, Geir Lundestad,
is also the director of the institute.
governance
The Nobel Foundation is represented
by a board, which is based in Stockholm and consists of seven members
and two deputy members elected by
the Trustees of the Nobel Founda-
tion. Board members and deputies
are appointed for a term of two years
each. From among its own members,
the Board chooses a Chairman, a Vice
Chairman and an Executive Director.
Regular members of the Board are
Marcus Storch, Chairman, Göran K.
Hansson, Vice Chairman and Secretary
of the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska
Institutet and of the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine, Lars
Heikensten, Executive Director of the
Nobel Foundation, Peter Englund, Permanent Secretary of the Swedish Academy, Tomas Nicolin, Kaci Kullmann
Five, Deputy Chair of the Norwegian
Nobel Committee, and Staffan Normark, Secretary General of the Royal
Swedish Academy of Sciences. Deputy
members are Lars Bergström, Secretary
of the Nobel Committee for Physics,
and Astrid Gräslund, Secretary of the
Nobel Committee for Chemistry.
trustees
The Nobel Prize awarding institutions
elect, for two calendar years, fifteen trustees to the Nobel Foundation. Six representatives are chosen by the Academy
of Sciences and the other three by each
of the other prize-awarding institutions.
The Academy of Sciences also appoints
four deputies and the other institutions
two deputies each. The trustees elect
a Chairman from their own number.
The trustees’ most important task is to
appoint the Nobel Foundation’s Board
and to audit the Nobel Foundation’s
accounts. At its annual meeting, usually
held in late April, the trustees approve
the previous year’s accounts and
discharge the Nobel Foundation’s Board
of Directors from personal liability.
auditors
The Nobel Foundation’s administration and its accounts are audited
annually by six auditors, who work
together in the so-called “auditing
team”. The trustees elect one of the
Foundation’s auditors, who must
be an authorised public accountant.
Other auditors are elected by the
prize-awarding institutions, except for
the chairman, who is appointed by the
government. All auditors are elected
for a term of one year.
Storch and Südhof: © The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Orasis, Sturegatan 14: © The Nobel Foundation
The Nobel Foundation acquired the
property at Sturegatan 14 in 1918 but
did not move in until 1926.
Marcus Storch – Chairman of the Board of the Nobel
Foundation.
No. of employees: 11
Executive Director: Lars Heikensten
Established: 1900
Corporate ID No.: 802002-4468
Address: Sturegatan 14, Stockholm,
Sweden
Thomas Südhof gives a lecture on the
brain at the Alfred Nobel Symposia
Machines, Molecules and Mind.
Contact: info@nobel.se, +46 (0)8-663 09 20
website: www.nobelprize.org/nobel_
organizations/nobelfoundation/
25
nobel foundation
rights association
O
ver the last decade, information efforts related to the
Nobel Prize have expanded
considerably. Because the funds of
the Nobel Foundation are primarily
intended to be used to select Laureates
and for prize money, it has become
necessary to form completely new units
to conduct and develop information
communication efforts.
With this in mind, the non-profit
Nobel Foundation Rights Association
was established in 1999. The Association has an overarching function as the
umbrella organisation for the follo-
wing units: the limited liability companies Nobel Media AB, Nobelmuseet
AB and Nobelhuset AB in Stockholm,
Nobels Fredspriskonsert AS and
­Stiftelsen Nobels Fredssenter in Oslo.
The companies are wholly owned by
the Nobel Foundation Rights Association, although the Nobel Peace Center
is a Norwegian foundation established
by the Nobel Foundation. The intention is for any profits to be reinvested
in the Nobel sphere’s operations.
All of these organisations share
the task of spreading information
and knowledge about the Nobel Prize
and Nobel Laureates’ efforts and of
stimulating interest in science and
humanism.
The organisations mentioned above
base their activities on the Nobel
Foundation’s intellectual property
assets, such as trademarks and copyrighted material. Their informational
efforts should therefore be undertaken
with a view to maintaining, preserving
and carefully developing the Nobel
Foundation’s trademarks and to
safeguard the long-term position of the
Nobel Prize.
Nobel Foundation
Rights Association
No. of employees: 2
Established: 1999
Corporate ID No.: 802407-9108
Address: Sturegatan 14, Stockholm,
Sweden
Contact: info@nobel.se, +46 (0)8-663 09 20
webbplats: www.nobelprize.org/nobel_
organizations/rights_association
26
© The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Orasis
The bust of Alfred Nobel , made by the artist Christian Eriksson,
is located in the entrance of the Nobel Foundation building.
27
nobel media ab
T
he task of the company Nobel
Media AB is to safeguard the
long-term position of the Nobel
Prize and developing media rights
connected with the prize. Operations
include a range of productions, including the website Nobelprize.org, live
broadcasts and TV collaborations from
the Nobel Prize announcements and
the Nobel Week in December, interview
programmes with the year’s Nobel Laureates, independent science documentaries, the Nobel Concert, international
lecture series and events. Print media is
also included in its portfolio.
Nobelprize.org is the official website
of the Nobel Prize. In 2011, the number
of unique visitors to the site increased
from 41 million to 45 million. The
Nobel Laureate section is a database
containing information about all Nobel
Prizes since 1901, including biographies
of the Nobel Laureates, Nobel Lectures, interviews, photographs, articles,
video clips and information about
Nobel Prize-awarded works. During the
announcement of the Nobel Laureates
and Nobel Week, Nobelprize.org serves
as a news channel. Several of the events
held in Stockholm and Oslo at this time
are broadcast live on the site.
Nobelprize.org also contains an
educational section with some 50
productions, including knowledgebased games and productions with
special themes. The games are interactive multimedia productions aimed
at secondary school students. In The
Blood Typing Game, players learn
to identify different blood types and
perform blood transfusions. In March
2012, this game won first prize in the
Swedish Learning Awards, and has so
far hosted 5.5 million players.
Nobel Media annually commissions
Swedish Television (SVT), Swedish
Radio (SR) and Norsk Rikskringkasting (NRK) to produce broadcasts from
the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremonies in
Stockholm and Oslo and the broadcast
from the Nobel Banquet in Stockholm.
The company also produces a number
of documentaries and the discussion
programme Nobel Minds together
with the year’s Nobel Laureates and
in co­operation with several renowned
international production companies.
All programmes produced are the
property of Nobel Media. The programmes are distributed via BBC World
News, Public Broadcasting Service
(PBS), CNN and national TV networks,
reaching a wide global audience.
As part of the AstraZeneca Nobel
Medicine Initiative, two lecture events
were produced and held during 2011.
As part of the initiative, a half-hourlong science documentary on the body’s
immune system called The Body’s
Secret Army, was produced and distributed. A collaboration was also begun
with the National Geographic Society
in which Nobel Laureates were paired
with National Geographic Explorers
for discussions held under the title of
The Big Idea. Three events were held in
Washington, DC during 2011.
Nobel Media also organised the
Nobel Prize Concert for the seventh
consecutive year. The latest concert
featured world-renowned tenor Joseph
Calleja, who performed with the Royal
Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra,
conducted by Marcello Mottadelli.
Nobel Media’s main sponsors and
partners are Ericsson, AstraZeneca,
Volvo, Akamai, Stockholm Concert
Hall Foundation and DNB and on the
media side SVT, NRK and BBC World
News.
productions and events during 2012
September
7 December
14 December
The documentary War Against Microbes,
produced with the support of AstraZeneca,
will be released for distribution on PBS in
the United States
Recording of the discussion programme
The Big Idea lecture with Economic
Nobel Minds
Sciences Laureate Roger Myerson and
National Geographic Explorer Jill Pruetz
10 October
The Big Idea lecture with Nobel Laureate
Adam Reiss and National Geographic
Explorer Kenny Broad
30 November
The Big Idea lecture with Nobel Laureate
Mario Molina and National Geographic
Explorer Iain Couzin
6 December
Nobelprize.org interviews this year’s Nobel
Laureates
28
8 December
Nobel Prize Concert in Stockholm, conducted by Christoph Eschenbach and featuring
violinist Ray Chen
9 December
Nobel Week Dialogue, The Genetic Revolution and Its Impact on Society, is an
open seminar intended to generate dialogue
between science and society. The seminar will
provide an overview of the progress made
within genetics and discuss current and future
key issues based on the 1962 Nobel Prize in
Physiology or Medicine awarded to Crick, Watson and Wilkins for their discovery of DNA
As part of the AstraZeneca Nobel
Medicine Initiative, the Nobel Laureates
in Physiology or Medicine participate in
an international lecture programme held
at various universities and AstraZeneca’s
research centres around the world. The
following lectures are scheduled for 2012:
Peter Doherty in Bangalore, India ; Bruce
Beutler in Boston, USA; Oliver Smithies in
Shanghai and Nanjing, China; and Elizabeth Blackburn in Seoul, Korea.
Material from the lecture programmes is
published on Nobelprize.org.
The Nobel Banquet: © The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Orasis, Nobel Minds: © Nobel Media AB, Photo: Claes Löfgren,
Calleja: © Nobel Media AB, Photo: Claes Löfgren, Perlmutter: © Nobel Media AB, Photo: Ariel Zambelich
SVT films the Nobel Banquet
in Stockholm.
Joseph Calleja was the soloist at
the 2011 Nobel Prize Concert.
The physicist Saul
Perlmutter is one
of many Lauretes
you get to meet at
Nobelprize.org.
The programme Nobel Minds is
taped in the Royal Castle Library.
The Blood Typing Game won first prize in the
Swedish Learning Awards, and has so far hosted
5.5 million players.
No. of employees: 15 (12 in Stockholm and 3 in
London)
CEO: Camilla Hyltén-Cavallius
Established: 2004
Corporate ID No.: 556667-5194
Address: Sturegatan 14, Stockholm, Sweden
contact: info@nobelmedia.se, +46 (0)8-663 17 22
website: www.nobelprize.org/nobel_
organizations/nobelmedia
29
nobelmuseet ab
T
he task of the company Nobelmuseet AB is to safeguard
the long term position of the
Nobel Prize through such activities as
operating the Nobel Museum, providing information and conducting
research related to the prize. The activities includes exhibitions, educational
programmes, touring exhibitions, a
research library and more.
The self-produced commemorative exhibition Items for Your Consideration: Treasures from the Nobel
Museum’s Collections, which opened
at the beginning of the year, celebrated
the museum’s 10th anniversary. The
exhibition is based on artefacts taken
from the collections built up since the
museum’s inauguration in 2001. To
honour the 100th anniversary of Marie
Curie’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry,
the museum produced the exhibition
Marie Skłodowska/Madame Curie,
which opened on 16 September. Two
additional exhibitions opened on 10
December: a photo exhibition of the
2011 Nobel Prize Diplomas and the
exhibition Fashion Innovation, displaying clothes designed by students at
Beckmans College of Design and inspired by the 2011 Nobel Prize. During
2011, the Nobel Museum welcomed
just over 162,000 visitors.
At the beginning of the year the
museum’s other international touring
exhibition – Alfred Nobel: Networks
of Innovation – was shown at the
National Science Centre in New Delhi,
India, and then travelled on to Tokyo,
Japan, where it opened at the National
Museum of Nature and Science on
31 October. In total, approximately
500,000 visitors saw the exhibition at
these locations.
The Nobel Museum’s research
department conducts lectures, seminars
and symposia, and strives to serve as a
bridge between research and the general
public. Through its very deliberate
acquisition policy, the Nobel Museum’s
research library has acquired a special
collection, including the only existing copies of many books on Alfred
Nobel, the Nobel Prize and Laureates.
The Nobel Museum also conducts an
extensive programme for schools, both
at the museum and through a variety
of external projects, such as Akka, in
which Nobel Museum staff visit schools
around Sweden. Over the course of
the year more than 500 school classes visited the museum. Unfortunately,
increasing numbers of classes have to be
turned away because of a lack of space.
In collaboration with the
Tempo Documentary Festival, the
Museum organised an event entitled
Film&Science. Thanks to contributions
from the two Swedish Research Councils; Formas and Vetenskapsrådet,
several films were shown, including
Submission, about the way chemicals
in our environment affect our bodies;
and Neuromarketing, about how companies are turning to the neurosciences
to design advertising.
The 2011 Neale Wheeler Watson
Lecture was given by Judith Butler, one
of the world’s most important contemporary philosophers and one of queer
theory’s biggest names. She presented
the lecture Precarious Life: The Obligations of Proximity.
According to an annual tradition, Nobel Week 2011 began with
a visit by the Nobel Laureates to the
Nobel Museum. There they viewed the
museum’s exhibitions and also signed a
chair in the Bistro Nobel restaurant.
The Nobel Museum receives financial support from both the State and
the City of Stockholm. The museum’s
main sponsor is Handelsbanken.
exhibitions and programme during 2012
Until 22 january
20–22 may
25 september
The international touring exhibition – Alfred Nobel: Networks of
­Innovation – was shown in Tokyo, Japan
Spark of Creativity and Nobel Networks in Beijing and Zhoshan, China
Science Café of the memory, the brain
22 may
16 october
Until 29 April
Neale Wheeler Watson Lecture by Oliver
Presentation of the 2012 Nobel Prizes
The exhibition Marie Skłodowska/
Sacks, neurologist and author, who became
world famous in 1985 thanks to his book
“The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat”
8 June – 9 September
Madame Curie
26 February – 3 March
Make a difference – ways to the Nobel
Prize school project in Uganda
5–11 March
Film & Science Film Festival
23 april
30
and its frailty
6 november
Science Café about stress and our
wellbeing
30 May – 31 December
14 november
Exhibition: DNA – the hereditary
­m olecule
From insulin to future innovations –
World Diabetes Day at the Nobel
Museum
8 june – 9 september
Reserch Seminar in collaboration with
The Sketches of Science: Photo Sessions
with Nobel Laureates exhibition
the French Embassy, the Polish Institute,
ESPCI and the Curie Museum
28 september – 27 january 2013
Exhibition on Herta Müller , 2009 Nobel
Laureate in Literature
10 december
Gold, glitter and Champagne – celebrate
the Nobel Day at the Nobel Museum
Program in selection. For a complete program,
please visit: www.nobelmuseum.se
resides at the old Stock
Exchange in the Old Town.
Medicine Laureate Bruce Beutler
starts the Nobel Week with a visit
the Nobel Museum.
The exhibition Marie Skłodowska/Madame Curie
opened on September 16 at the Nobel Museum.
No. of employees: 36
CEO: Olov Amelin
Established: 2004. Operations were previously
­conducted through Nobel Foundation Rights Association.
Corporate ID No.: 556667-5210
Address: Stortorget 2, Stockholm, Sweden
Contact: info@nobelmuseum.se, +46 (0)8-534 818 00
Website: www.nobelmuseum.se
31
The building: © Nobel Museum AB, Beutler: © The Nobel Foundation, photo: Orasis, Nobel Museum interior: © Nobel Museum AB, photo: Helena Karlsson, poster: © Nobel Museum AB
Both the Nobel Museum
and The Swedish Academy stiftelsen nobels
fredssenter
T
he mission of Stiftelsen Nobels
Fredssenter, a Norwegian foundation, is to present the Nobel
Peace Prize Laureates, their work and
issues related to war, peace and conflict
resolution. This is achieved through
exhibitions, films, seminars and conferences.
The Nobel Peace Center is located
at Rådhusplassen by Aker Brygge in
Oslo and is housed inside Vestbanen
old station house. A series of exhibitions was presented at the Nobel Peace
Center in 2011. Until the end of April,
the large train hall housed a selfproduced exhibition about 2010 Nobel
Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo entitled I Have No Enemies. In February,
an exhibition was displayed on the
building’s façade for the first time.
It was entitled Congo – Women and
opened to coincide with Mother’s Day.
The Nobel Peace Center’s exhibition
celebrating Nansen-Amundsen Year
2011 was named Transit. The exhibition was inspired by Norwegian Nobel
Peace Prize Laureate Fridtjof Nansen
and the situation of refugees today.
The exhibition’s biographical discussion of Fridtjof Nansen highlighted
his humanitarian efforts. The gallery
also displayed the interactive children’s
exhibit Nansen and I. The Sheroes
exhibition about the 2011 Peace Prize
Laureates opened on 11 December.
A series of smaller exhibitions were
also produced, including the Hope
exhibition, which displayed pictures
taken by children in Afghanistan using
disposable cameras. The project formed part of the larger exhibition entitled In Afghanistan, which opened in
2012. In 2011, the Nobel Peace Center
welcomed approximately 178,500 visitors, of whom approximately 105,000
purchased tickets to the exhibitions.
Approximately 870 school groups
participated in the center’s school tours
during 2011. Some examples of exhibition themes were: Forbidden Words,
about human rights in China; Snakk,
ikke skyt! (Talk, Don’t Shoot), about
conflict resolution, human rights and
non-violent communication; and Hjemmefra (From Home), which focused
on refugees and Fridtjof Nansen.
The Nobel Peace Center also houses a shop and the restaurant Alfred.
The main sponsors of the Nobel Peace
Center are Hydro, Telenor Group,
Orkla and ABB.
exhibitions and programme during 2012
10 February – 2 September
The In Afghanistan exhibition
10–11 February
24 hours in Afghanistan. Exhibition inauguration
with lectures, talks with artists, films, activities for children
and more
16 June
Celebration outside the Nobel Peace Center and a
speech by Aung San Suu Kyi
16 June – 26 November
Mother Democracy
Exhibition on Aung San Suu Kyi – Nobel Peace Prize
Laureate in 1991
21 September – 17 February 2013
The Gandhi exhibition
11 December
The 2012 Peace Prize exhibition
32
The selection in the store reflects
the themes of the exhibitions.
No. of employees: 47
CEO: Bente Erichsen
Established: 2005
Corporate ID No.: 985226237
Adress: Brynjulf Bulls Plass 1, Rådhusplassen, Oslo, Norway
Contact: post@nobelpeacecenter.org, +47 48 30 10 00
website: www.nobelpeacecenter.org
33
Photo of building: Johannes Granseth/Nobel Peace Center , other photos: Charlotte Nexmark/Nobel Peace Center
The old station house Vestbanen houses
the Nobel Peace Center since 2005.
© City of Stockholm
nobelhuset ab
T
he objective of the company
Nobelhuset AB is to work
within the framework of the
Nobel Foundation’s sphere of interest to plan, build, own, manage and
develop a building for cultural and scientific work known as the Nobel Prize
Center. This building will be located
at Blasieholmen in Stockholm and the
company will conduct efforts relevant
events during 2012
DECEMBER 2012
The launch of an international architectural competition will
preliminary take place during December
to the above noted activities. Nobelhuset AB, like other businesses within the
Nobel sphere, shall carefully manage
and develop the Nobel Foundation
trademarks.
Nobelhuset AB
No. of employees: 1
Established: 2012
Corporate ID No.: 556884-6421
Address: Sturegatan 14, Stockholm,
Sweden
Contact: info@nobel.se
34
© The Nobel Foundation, Photo: Ken Opprann
nobels
fredspriskonsert as
N
obels Fredspriskonsert AS,
a Norwegian company, was
established in October 2010.
As the official organiser of the annual
Nobel Peace Prize Concert, the company funds its other activities using
the proceeds from this concert and
income from the Norwegian Mint’s
sales of commemorative medals linked
to different Peace Prize Laureates.
The company’s work also focuses on
research into international relations;
events during 2012
11 december
Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo Spektrum
peace and conflict, with associated
research performed locally; international scholarship programmes; seminars
and lectures. The company can also
support other activities that involve
disseminating information about the
Nobel Peace Prize and its background
and history, about Nobel Laureates
and their work, about Alfred Nobel
and about the Nobel system in general.
In 2011, four international visiting
fellows were appointed. Their work
was presented together with the
research of nine Norwegian guest professors during a thirteen-week lecture
series held in the spring. The company
is also responsible for arranging an
annual teachers’ conference held in
April.
The Nobel Peace Prize Concert
event is sponsored by Cisco, Hydro,
IBM, KPMG, Statkraft and Telenor
Group.
Nobels Fredspriskonsert AS
No. of employees: 1
Established: 2010
Corporate ID No.: 996179397
Address: Henrik Ibsens gate 51, Oslo, Norway
Contact: info@nobelpeaceprizeconcert.no, +47 22 12 93 00
website : nobelpeaceprize.org and nobelpeaceprizeconcert.org
35
The Nobel Banquet 2011 at The Stockholm
City Hall – The entertainment was
characterized by the romantic works of Carl
Jonas Love Almqvists, Swedish folk music and
kurbits (decorative floral painting). The Romeo &
Julia Choir performed under Benoît Malmberg,
Camilla Thulin designed the costumes and
Gunnar Kaj created the floral decorations.
36
3
P.O. Box 5232, SE-102 45 Stockholm, Sweden, Tel: +46 (0)8 663 09 20, Fax: +46 (0)8 660 38 47
E-mail: info@nobel.se, Web: Nobelprize.org