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AIMR held Special Lecture “Alfred Nobel and the Nobel Prizes” ―How to Select Nobel Laureates: Insights from a Committee Member―

On March 3, 2026, AIMR hosted a special lecture titled “Alfred Nobel and the Nobel Prizes” at Sakura Hall on the Katahira Campus. The lecture was delivered by Professor Eva Olsson (Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden), a member of the Nobel Committee for Physics.

Professor Olsson has made outstanding contributions to advanced materials analysis using electron microscopy. She has been a member of the Physics Section of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences since 2011 and served as Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics in 2023. As this was a rare opportunity to hear directly from a member of the Nobel Committee, the lecture attracted a large audience.

The lecture began by exploring the life of the founder, Alfred Nobel. Professor Olsson shared the historical background of the prize’s origins, explaining how Nobel, a successful entrepreneur who held numerous patents, established the Nobel Foundation through his 1895 will signed in Paris.

Professor Olsson then explained the detailed selection process conducted throughout the year, as well as the different evaluation criteria applied to each prize. For example, “Discovery or Invention” is the most important criterion for the Nobel Prize in Physics, while “Discovery and Improvement” is emphasized for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. She also highlighted that, in keeping with the spirit of Nobel’s will, candidates are evaluated purely on their “Achievement” and the “Benefit for Mankind or Universe,” regardless of nationality—a testament to the absolute fairness and enduring spirit of Nobel’s will.

The lecture, organized for the Tohoku University community, attracted a diverse group of participants including researchers, faculty members, and students. The Q&A session was lively, making the event both intellectually stimulating and highly engaging, and offering participants a valuable opportunity to learn firsthand about the philosophy and rigorous selection process behind the Nobel Prizes.

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