'World needs dedicated scientists': Laureates honored at Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm

By Atilla Altuntas

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AA) – The Nobel Prizes of 2022 were presented to new laureates at a ceremony in the Swedish capital of Stockholm on Saturday.

The ceremony that took place at the Konserthuset Stockholm (the Stockholm Concert Hall) was attended by the Swedish royal family, politicians, as well as foreign diplomats including the Turkish ambassador in Stockholm, Can Tezel.

Accordingly, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser and Anton Zeilinger, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and K. Barry Sharpless and the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology to Svante Paabo.

The Nobel Prize in Economics Sciences was given to Ben S. Bernanke, Douglas W. Diamond, and Philip H. Dybvig.

Speaking at the ceremony, Carl-Henrik Heldin, chairman of the board of the Nobel Foundation, stressed the importance and sacrifice of the scientists for the progress of the humanity.

"The world needs dedicated scientists who relentlessly seek the truth and push the boundaries of our knowledge. And the world needs those individuals and groups which − at great personal sacrifice − challenge authorities in pursuit of peace, democracy and human rights," he said.

Nobel Prize laureates, he said, are part of a community which has, in profound ways, changed the world.

"They demonstrate the capacity we have as human beings to shape our own destiny," he added.

The chair said "this year is special" because the coronavirus pandemic "prevented us from holding regular festivities these past two years."

Earlier on Saturday, human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties received this year’s Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo.

* Writing and contribution by Ahmet Gencturk in Ankara