Top scientists from Singapore attend XXII Meeting of Nobel Laureates and Talented Students
A long-standing professional relationship between the National University of Singapore and the Hungarian National Academy of Scientist Education has culminated in an invitation of several professors from a prestigious university in Asia to the XXII Meeting of Laureates and Talented Students.
The event, which took place in Budapest and Szeged between 11-15 April, was attended by some 480 pupils from 62 Hungarian secondary schools. Also attending were around 180 university students dedicated to life sciences from all four training sites of the National Academy of Scientist Education, i.e. from Budapest, Debrecen, Pécs and Szeged. These students mostly of pharmacology, biology or medicine were accompanied by their mentors and junior mentors, who are committed to helping their mentees to pursue a career in research. In total, approximately 750 people participated in the conference.
The two-day event featured several prominent guests and keynote lecturers including American physiologist and Nobel Prize winner Brian Kobilka; John Eu-Li Wong, Senior Vice President for Health Innovation and Translation at the National University of Singapore; David Eisner, Professor of Cardiac Physiology at the University of Manchester and Martin Morad, Professor of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology at the Medical University of South Carolina.
The Singaporean delegation of 8 members had an opportunity to gain first-hand information regarding the educational programme of the Academy, whose main goal is to encourage and support talented young people who are highly interested in medical sciences. The group of professors and scientists led by John Eu-Li Wong was granted an insight into the professional, intellectual and infrastructural background of the educational programme, which is run by the National Academy of Scientist Education. They also had a chance to meet and talk to university students and their professional supervisors as well as secondary school pupils involved in the programme.
As part of their visitation, the delegates also negotiated with senior officials from Semmelweis University, Szeged University, the University of Pécs as well as the HUN-REN Hungarian Research Network about future prospects of closer cooperation.
The experience gained at the conference further reinforced the determination of the National University of Singapore to involve Singaporean students in this rather unique form of education. Besides university students, it is their intention to send secondary school pupils from their country to Hungary in order that they can experience Hungarian public education as well as participate in the age-appropriate level of the training programme of the Academy. This will also serve to publicize the talent nurturing programme of the National Academy of Scientist Education at an international level.
2024.04.24.
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