A NOBEL UNDERTAKING
The annual Nobel Museum has been a resounding success and there is more to come under an exclusive 10-year partnership agreement.
This year marks the fifth time in as many years that the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) is bringing the Nobel Museum to Dubai in collaboration with the Nobel Foundation. MBRF was the first Arab entity to sign an exclusive 10-year partnership agreement with the Nobel Global Foundation, with the aim of organising the exhibition in several locations at local and regional levels.
The annual event is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of MBRF, and showcases information about the Nobel Prize and Nobel prize win- ners, as well as information about the founder of the prize, Alfred Nobel.
The Nobel Prize is a set of annual international awards bestowed in several categories by Swedish and Norwegian institutions in recognition of academic, cultural or scientific advances.
The will of the Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel established the five Nobel prizes in 1895. The prizes in Chemistry, Literature, Peace, Physics and Physiology or Medicine were first awarded in 1901. The prizes are widely regarded as the most prestigious awards available in these fields.
The 2019 edition of the Nobel Museum focuses on the Nobel Prize in Literature under the slogan ‘Sharing Worlds’. It features interactive displays centred on eight laureates, including Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz who won in 1988 (see feature on page 50). There will also be numerous workshops held by individual experts and institutions in the field of literature.
The Nobel Museum first came to Dubai in 2015. Titled ‘The Nobel Prize: Ideas Changing the World’ it ran for a month at the Burj Khalifa. His Excellency Jamal bin Huwaireb, then Managing Director of MBRF, said the exhibition was organised as part of the Foundation’s efforts to empower future generations with sustainable solutions that address the challenges in the knowledge and research domains in the Arab world.
“The Nobel Museum exhibition will provide a unique platform in the Arab world to put the spotlight on innovation and discoveries,” HE bin Huwaireb said at the time. “It will draw attention to human achievements that have transformed the world and contributed to improving the lives of people. We believe that the Nobel Museum exhibits will motivate our young people to innovate and look around them as creative explorers and divert their energies to find better solutions and ideas.”
Among the key attraction were two workshops: one on microfinance addressed by Nobel laureate Muhammed Yunus, and the second on the ‘Impact of The Nobel Prizes’ by Dr Gustav Källstrand, Senior Curator at the Nobel Museum.
In 2016, the Nobel Museum was held in Dubai under the theme ‘Exploring Life: Nobel Prize in Physiology. The exhibition intended to awaken curiosity about the exploration of our bodies and show how the discoveries of Nobel laureates in physiology or medicine have brought about changes in us and our lives.
The exhibition included several sections focused on the major aspects of medicine, such as diseases and their cures, anatomy, the cell, DNA and making the invisible visible. The ‘Islamic Medicine’ d isplay f eatured a t imeline o f e vents r elevant t o Islamic medicine and celebrated the achievements of 15 scientists who created major breakthroughs.
The 2017 Nobel Museum was titled ‘The Nobel Prize in Physics: Understanding Matter’ and was designed to introduce the public to the work and discoveries of Nobel laureates in physics, such as through X-Ray imagery. The eight different sections focused on Rays and Waves, Matter, Stars and Universe, Quantum Physics, Electronics, Cloud Chamber, Laureate Arena, and the VR experience, which enabled visitors to go on a journey through the cosmos using virtual reality gear.
And last year, the Nobel Museum highlighted an important category of the Nobel Prize – chemistry. The ‘Nobel Prize in Chemistry – Connecting Elements’ focused on the achievements of Arab and Muslim chemists, such as Jabir Ibn Hayyan and Abu Baker Al Razi, who played a key role in establishing the foundations of this science. The five sections within the exhibition showcased the achievements of Nobel laureates in five different areas of chemistry.
The event also honoured the Egyptian chemist and Nobel laureate Ahmad Zeweil, who was known for being the Father of Femtochemistry (the study of chemical reactions).
“We have highlighted the achievements made by Nobel Prize laureates in chemistry, particularly Egyptian chemist Ahmad Zuwail, underlining the role that these discoveries – as well as other achievements by Nobel Prize winners – play in improving people’s lives,” HE bin Huwaireb, MBRF’s CEO, noted at the time.
Next year the world’s eyes will be firmly fixed on Dubai as Expo 2020 takes place. As we look forward to this year’s exciting Nobel Museum, we should also prepare ourselves for a special sixth edition next year that will set new standards on all fronts.
FACT FILE
Number of Nobel Prizes in Literature
110 Nobel Prizes in Literature have been awarded since 1901
Shared Nobel Prizes in Literature
1904
Frédéric Mistral, José Echegaray
1917
Karl Gjellerup, Henrik Pontoppidan
1966
Shmuel Agnon, Nelly Sachs
1974
Eyvind Johnson, Harry Martinson
Number of Nobel Laureates in Literature
114
individuals have been awarded
the Nobel Prize in Literature
1901-2017
Average age
The average age of all Literature
laureates between 1901 and 2017
is 65 years
Youngest Literature Laureate
The youngest Literature laureate is Rudyard Kipling, best known for The Jungle Book, who was 41 years old when he was awarded the Literature Prize in 1907
Oldest Literature Laureate
The oldest Nobel laureate in Literature to date is Doris Lessing, who was 88 years old when she was awarded the Prize in 2007
Female Nobel Laureates in Literature
14 women have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature
The Nobel Medal for Literature
The Nobel medal for Literature was designed by Swedish sculptor and engraver Erik Lindberg
NOBEL MUSEUM 2019
Under the title ‘Sharing Worlds’, this year’s Nobel Museum organised by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation celebrates the Nobel Prize in Literature. Focusing on the work of selected Nobel laureates in literature, and featuring an interactive exhibition suitable for all ages, the Museum runs from 3 February to 2 March, at La Mer, in Dubai. The Museum is open Sunday to Thursday, 9am – 10pm, and Friday, 2pm – 10pm.
