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What does it feel like to be the person who makes phone calls to the top scientists and researchers in the world to tell them they've been awarded a Nobel Prize for Science? This year's Chancellor's Lecture at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) provided answers to this intriguing question when Prof G?ran Hansson, a leading figure in the Nobel Prize system, shared a wealth of insights about the inner workings of the world's most prestigious awards.
Hosted by SU and the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), the Chancellor's Lecture provided an insightful exploration of the Nobel Prize's history, significance and selection process.
As a former Vice Chairman of the Nobel Foundation and someone who has personally informed 67 Nobel laureates of their accolades, Hansson's lecture was peppered with rare behind-the-scenes facts and amusing anecdotes about the “Oscars for nerds", as he described the Nobel Prizes.
In his welcoming message, SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers said the Nobel in Africa initiative, of which the Chancellor's Lecture is a highlight, is more than a partnership with the Nobel Foundation and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. “It's a platform that connects the world's top scientific minds fostering collaborations that could shape the future of both our continent and the world," De Villiers stressed. “We are truly honoured to have Prof Hansson with us, a leading cardiovascular immunologist, physician scientist and someone who knows a lot about the inner workings of selecting Nobel laureates."
At the start of his lecture, Hansson acknowledged South Africa's impressive Nobel legacy, highlighting the country's distinguished laureates, from Dr Max Theiler's 1951 Medicine Prize for yellow fever vaccine development to JM Coetzee's 2003 Literature Prize. Hansson mentioned he has visited the Nobel Square in Cape Town's V&A Waterfront, featuring South African Peace Prize laureates Chief Albert Luthuli, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former President FW de Klerk, and former President Nelson Mandela.
Origins of the Nobel Prize
He delved into the history and evolution of the Nobel Prizes, established by the renowned Swedish chemist, inventor and philanthropist, Alfred Nobel. Upon his death in 1896, Nobel left behind a will that established a fund for awarding prizes to those who had conferred significant benefits to humanity. This decision shocked his relatives, who had expected to inherit his fortune, Hansson noted. Interestingly, Nobel's will stipulated that nationality should not influence prize selection – a revolutionary concept during an era marked by rampant nationalism.
Hansson explained the distinct roles played by the various award-granting institutions, such as the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Norwegian Nobel Committee, in selecting the laureates. A fascinating insight was the challenges faced by the Nobel Committee in awarding the Peace Prize. Unlike the other prizes, which are decided by Swedish institutions, the Peace Prize is awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the members of which are elected by the Norwegian Parliament, adding an extra layer of complexity to the process.
The Nobel Committee evaluates nominees based on their contributions' originality and significance to humanity, Hansson explained. He emphasised that the selection process is rigorous and aims to highlight groundbreaking work in each field.
“There is one criterion for a Nobel Prize for Science, and that is discovery. The Nobel Prize is awarded for discovery, not for scientific leadership, not for lifetime achievement. If you cannot identify discovery, you will not get the prize. It doesn't matter how many wonderful lectures or review articles you have produced during your career," Hansson stressed.
The members of the Nobel selection committee take their responsibility very seriously, he said. “We work hard to identify the discoverers, because we feel the pressure that we are writing the history of science, and we don't want to be wrong. We want to remain credible. And that means that it can take time." In a way the Nobel Prizes “write the progress of civilisation", Hansson added.
He detailed the rigorous journey from nomination to award. Each prize receives approximately 700 nominations annually, with evaluations occurring through multiple cycles before a laureate is chosen.
Controversy
The lecture also addressed the challenges faced by the Nobel Committee, including the evolving landscape of scientific discoveries, the complexities of team-based research and the need to ensure fairness and representation across different regions and fields. Hansson noted that while progress has been made, there is still much work to be done to ensure equitable representation across all fields.
He didn't shy away from controversial aspects of the Nobel Prize, including notable omissions like Mohandas Gandhi for the Peace Prize and the British chemist Dr Rosalind Franklin for her DNA work, as well as problematic awards such as the 1949 Medicine Prize for lobotomy. These cases, Hansson explained, have helped shape the current careful, multi-year evaluation process.
Hansson described the emotional weight of personally informing Nobel laureates about their awards. Each call is filled with anticipation and excitement. “I've had the privilege of calling 67 laureates, and I can tell you that all of them were happy. I've always asked formally: 'Do you accept the prize?' And they all said 'yes', and some even sounded surprised that I asked."
The audience was treated to several entertaining anecdotes about notifying winners, including the story of 2020 Chemistry laureate David MacMillan, who repeatedly hung up on the announcement call, convinced it was a prank. “I bet you $1,000 it's a prank," the Scottish scientist texted his co-laureate, Benjamin List. Hansson recalled MacMillan's later response: “You made me lose $1,000 today … but I won the Nobel Prize, so I guess it's okay."
Hansson spoke movingly about when the 2011 Medicine Committee awarded a Nobel Prize to Ralph Steinman of Canada; unaware he had died of cancer shortly before the announcement. Showing a photo of Steinman's widow receiving the award on his behalf, Hansson described the touching moment when Claudia Steinman sent a symbolic kiss to her husband.
'That other woman'
The most memorable phone call was by one of Hansson's predecessors who called the home of a laureate early in the morning. “His wife answered, and the Secretary General asked to speak to Professor so-and-so. The answer was, 'He is with that other woman'," Hansson relayed to great amusement of the audience.
The lecture also addressed critical issues facing the Nobel Prizes, including the historical underrepresentation of women and scientists from Africa, South Asia and South America. Hansson acknowledged these challenges while highlighting recent progress, particularly in gender representation. He pointed to 2018, when all four scientific Nobel Committees were chaired by women, including Prof Juleen Zierath, who was present at the Stellenbosch lecture.
Discussing the Nobel Prize's enduring prestige, Hansson attributed it to several factors: its 123-year legacy, the combination of science, culture, and peace, and most importantly, its impressive track record. “Today, all new Nobel laureates feel that they are walking in Einstein's footsteps," he noted.
Concluding his lecture, Hansson encouraged young researchers in attendance to aspire toward excellence and contribute meaningfully to their fields, noting there is still room for new laureates from regions like Africa. “We hope for nominations and various kinds of contributions from scholars here in Stellenbosch, in South Africa and on this continent. We hope that we will be able to award Nobel Prizes for Science to Africans in the near future," he said and added: “So work hard, students! We're waiting for you to come to Stockholm."
PHOTO: Stefan Els
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