CE attends Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting
25.6.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, accompanied by the Head of the Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office, Mrs Betty Fung, attended the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting today (June 24, Lindau time). Founded in 1951, the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting gathers Nobel Laureates in the fields of natural sciences to meet leading scientists of the next generation to exchange knowledge and experience every year. Some 40 Nobel Laureates and 600 young scientists from different countries take part in the meeting this year. In the morning, Mrs Lam met with the Chairman of the Foundation for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, Professor Dr Jürgen Kluge and the Managing Director and Member of the Executive Board of the Foundation, Mr Nikolaus Turner. She said that she is pleased to be invited for the first time to the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, giving her the opportunity to experience the major annual academic event. She said that it would be very inspiring for the young scientists to have the chance to exchange with the Nobel Laureates. She added that the Shaw Prize in Hong Kong, which has been set up for more than 10 years, has become a world-renowned science award with a number of recipients being awarded the Nobel Prize as well. She believed that Hong Kong can make reference to the experience of the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings and organise similar academic meetings in Hong Kong in the future. In the afternoon, Mrs Lam met with the Austrian Federal Minister of Education, Science and Research, Professor Dr Heinz Fassmann, who also attended the Meeting. She said that Hong Kong is actively strengthening collaboration with academic and scientific research institutions in different parts of the world to advance the development of innovation and technology in Hong Kong. Noting that Austria attaches importance to scientific research with universities excelling in various fields, she expressed the hope that she and officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government could visit Austria in the future to discuss how to strengthen bilateral co-operation. Mrs Lam then attended the opening ceremony, the opening concert and the dinner organised by the host of the Meeting. Addressing the guests at the cocktail reception held before the dinner, Mrs Lam said that innovation and technology is the driving force for the world to move forward, and nurturing talent is essential for the development of innovation and technology. She added that the Lindau Novel Laureate Meeting is a very meaningful activity. Noting that Hong Kong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area development need a lot of talent, she welcomed young scientists from different parts of the world to participate in the development. Before the dinner, Mrs Lam met with three Nobel-Shaw Laureates, Professor Dr Michael Rosbash, Professor Dr Michael Young and Professor Dr Robert Lefkowitz to learn about their views on the promotion of scientific research and invite them to go to Hong Kong to exchange with young people in the future. Mrs Lam will continue to attend the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting tomorrow (June 25, Lindau time). Ends/Monday, June 25, 2018 Issued at HKT 5:32 NNNN