As of September 20, 2026, three Nobel laureates took part in an international academic forum at a convention center in Seoul's Gangnam district, discussing how AI will reshape the future of scientific research. The event drew 16 experts from Korea and abroad and roughly 1,200 audience members, with six Korean students joining the laureates for a direct discussion. It marked the third time this kind of event has been held in Korea.
Key points
- The forum was co-hosted by the Korean Academy of Science and Technology and the Nobel Foundation's outreach arm in Sweden.
- Three Nobel laureates in chemistry, physics, and physiology or medicine took the stage.
- Six Korean high school and university students joined the laureates on stage to discuss what it takes to be a scientist in the AI era.
- A vice-minister-level official from the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Nobel Foundation's secretary general also met separately with the laureates.
An academic exchange event normally held in Sweden each December, timed to the Nobel Prize ceremony, made a special international stop in Seoul this time. Korea has hosted the event twice before, and this third edition once again brought the Korean public face to face with world-renowned scholars.
The lineup of three laureates on stage stood out. They included a Princeton University chemist honored for developing new catalytic reactions, an astrophysicist from the Australian National University recognized for observational proof of the universe's expansion, and a professor at a Massachusetts medical school honored for uncovering the mechanisms that regulate gene expression. Sixteen experts from science, the arts, and philosophy joined them as speakers and panelists.
FAQ
Is this event held every year?
The main event, Nobel Week Dialogue, is held annually in Sweden, but this international special edition in Korea is only the third of its kind.
Did the laureates actually talk with Korean students?
Yes. Six Korean high school and university students joined a dedicated session on stage with the Nobel laureates to discuss what it takes to be a scientist in the AI era.
What exactly was the event's theme?
The core themes were how AI is transforming scientific research and paradigms, and what qualities define a good scientist amid that change.
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