Nearly five thousand students gathered on March 30 at the Pick Arena in Szeged to listen live to the lectures of Prof. Ferenc Krausz and Prof. Randy Schekman at the student meeting of the National Academy of Scientist Education (NTA). The two Nobel Prize-winning researchers — who are also members of the Board of Trustees of the Hungarian Frontiers Foundation — spoke about science, the importance of asking questions, and careers in research.
The main goal of the NTA program series is to create an inspiring environment where talented young people can develop an interest in the fields of medicine and natural sciences. A Chinese delegation also accompanied the scientists to the event, including representatives of Qilu University of Technology and the Chongqing Three Gorges University Hospital.
After the event, the delegation visited the ELI ALPS Laser Research Institute, where Ferenc Krausz guided the visitors through the laser laboratory and biobank of the Center for Molecular Fingerprinting. At the latter location, the professor presented the CMF’s newly acquired Askion automated cryogenic freezer units, which ensure the long-term molecular integrity of blood plasma samples at −150 °C.
The event in Szeged clearly demonstrates the ambition at the heart of the Frontiers initiative: to create direct encounters between talented young people and leading researchers from around the world.
Photo credit: Géza Marossy
