Stockholm is adorned in pristine white and lights, eagerly awaiting the distinguished guests and honorees for the Nobel Weeks. Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó arrived on December 4, 2023. As an honoree guest, she is a research professor at the University of Szeged. Dániel Viczián, a first-year chemistry student at the University of Szeged, is attending the Nobel Prize award ceremony as a spectator. The official events celebrating personalities recognized with the world's most prestigious scientific award officially begin on December 6, 2023.
A report from our correspondents Ilona Újszászi and István Sahin-Tóth, who are attending the Nobel Weeks in Stockholm:
Scarves and hats, gloves and warm boots are the things to pack for those arriving in the Swedish capital for the Nobel Weeks in Stockholm.
In the biting cold
The airplane departed from New York with a three-hour delay. Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó and her husband, Béla Francia, traveled over 6300 kilometers, enduring more than 11 hours of travel.
-It was unusual that an official delegation, yet familiar, awaited us at the airport. It was unusual that we didn't have to take care of our luggage ourselves. It was also unusual that a separate car took us from the airport to the hotel," recounted Katalin Karikó to her friends. The Nobel laureate scientist would excel in logistics on multiple occasions. Since 2021, for the ceremonies of the awards and recognitions she has received, she usually organizes her travels herself – from America through Europe to Asia and back.
Amidst strict security regulations, the Nobel Committee takes care of the programs of the personalities coming to Stockholm for Nobel week and their guests, down to the smallest details. Upon setting foot on the soil of Sweden, Katalin Karikó, was received by Professor Thomas Perlmann, secretary-general of the Nobel Committee of the Karolinska Institutet, who announced her Nobel Prize on 2 October 2023 and explained the reasons for her recognition at a press conference at the Karolinska Institutet, according to a photo shared on social media.
-I'm also happy about the snow because last year in Philadelphia, we didn't experience any snowfall," the Nobel laureate remarked, referring to the glistening whiteness covering Stockholm and the temperatures around minus ten degrees Celsius.
After the final refinement of her Stockholm schedule, interviews awaited the first Hungarian female Nobel laureate…
The frosty snow creaks under her steps, evoking childhood memories of harsh winters, as the cold bites at her fingertips even through the gloves. Katalin Karikó in a bobble hat, walks hand in hand with her husband, Béla Francia, towards a restaurant near the hotel for dinner. This could be their first Stockholm evening, perhaps the only one spent in intimacy. However, a phone call interrupts: the Szeged team has arrived – with a journalist and a photojournalist. And so, the four of them sat down at the dinner table together.
The flight departing from Budapest
With a bit of exaggeration, we could call the flight departing precisely at 12:10 PM on December 4, 2023, from Budapest a 'Nobel laureate flight.' We, two press officers from the International Affairs and Public Relations Directorate of the University of Szeged, embarked on the journey to Stockholm as on-site correspondents.
It was evident from the team traveling on the wing of the airplane that it was the crew from the Hungarian public television. The photojournalist brought his most cherished camera on board as well. They chatted with the flight attendant about who could be the most interesting interviewee among the passengers. The discussion revolved around the pretty-eyed girl and the celebrities.
In addition to the press delegations heading to the Nobel Weeks, Dániel Viczián also travelled on this airplane. The first-year chemistry student at the University of Szeged won the right to travel and visit Stockholm as a scientist scholar.
Young "Scientist" at the Ceremony
Daniel Viczián arrived in the Swedish capital as the sole Hungarian participant of the 42nd Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar. While still in high school as a graduating student of Szegedi Radnóti Miklós Experimental high school, he earned the right to participate in the conference alongside young scientists from approximately twenty countries.
-I've been involved in research at the University of Szeged since my high school years," shared Daniel Viczián. The young talent, seasoned in various national and international academic competitions, will give a presentation on December 6, 2023, titled "Synthesis of Antioxidant-Effective Enzyme-Mimicking Nanocomposites." "A South Korean boy is working on a similar topic, and I hope to meet him soon," added Daniel.
Multidisciplinary, which is the main characteristic of the Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar. Founded in 1976, the organization aims to inspire young minds to engage with scientific questions, highlighting the most notable achievements of young scientists worldwide.
During the Nobel Weeks, Minds of the Future 2023, the multidisciplinary workshop of the Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar, directs young minds towards science, highlighting the most notable achievements of young scientists worldwide. Minds of the Future 2023 also provides an opportunity for budding scientists to engage in discussions with Nobel laureate researchers, and the outcomes will be shared.
Read more about the Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar here.
Find more articles on our 2023 Nobel Weeks page.
Ilona Újszászi
Translated by S.D.
Photo: István Sahin-Tóth
